


Lost in Translation

by tsuki_llama



Series: Distractions [8]
Category: Darker Than Black
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-08-11 06:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 98,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7880212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsuki_llama/pseuds/tsuki_llama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Misaki struggles to make sense of the clues hidden within Hui's notebook, determined to finally understand who the Syndicate is and what they want. However, the Syndicate have their eyes on her, and when EPR makes a bold move during a charity gala, she and Hei face some hard choices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"What does this line say?"

Hei turned from the stove, where he was stirring a curry, to lean over the counter and take a look at the page that Misaki had pushed forward. He held a hand under the spoon so that it wouldn't drip sauce all over the paper and squinted at the line she was pointing to.

" _Wait for the drop_ ," he read.

Misaki's brow furrowed as she made a notation with her pen. "Maybe I should have you type this out instead - your handwriting is atrocious."

He'd spent half of last night translating Hui's book of orders into Japanese while waiting for Misaki to come home, yet had only gotten through a few pages of the crabbed script. They'd decided to keep the book in Misaki's apartment, tucked away on a shelf in her bookcase. It was probably the safest place; Hei couldn't risk it being found in his room. To maximize the time that they had to translate it, Misaki had told Hei that he could come up to work on it even if she wasn't home. It had felt so strange, being there without her, that he'd hardly been able to concentrate on his task. He'd felt too much like an intruder.

And it didn't help that he'd gotten in by picking the lock.

"I'm too slow with a keyboard," he told her mildly. He started to turn back to the pot, but Misaki caught his wrist. A blob of curry sauce had fallen onto the side of his thumb; she scooped it up with a curl of her index finger and popped it into her mouth. His breath caught.

"Hm," she said, staring at the sheet and completely oblivious to the effect that she had on him. "It looks like it says _'moon'_ here, but that can't be right. And here, again."

He leaned over, inhaling slowly to cool his blood. "No, that's right."

" _Orders to follow on the night of the moon's last quarter_ \- is that some kind of double meaning?"

Hei turned off the stove and got out a couple of bowls. "It's probably literal; I get instructions like that occasionally."

Misaki tapped her pen against her wrist, her brow furrowing again. "How can it be literal? The moon hasn't been there for ten years!"

"Of course it's still there; we just can't see it."

"I know that," she said impatiently. "But if we can't see it, how can anyone know if it's full, or last-quarter, or whatever?"

Hei shrugged and began dishing out the curry. "I don't know. Someone would have to calculate how long the phases last, and put together some kind of calendar that predicts it…"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Misaki's eyes narrow; then she snorted a laugh and set down her pen. "Okay, I deserved that. I guess I've just never really thought about it before. The moon still behaving normally, I mean, even though it's been blocked from view for a decade."

They took their bowls and settled side by side on the floor in front of the sofa to eat. "So," Misaki said around a mouthful of rice, "from what you were able to translate last night, it sounds like Hui gets his orders on certain days depending on the phase of the moon. The question now is, when will it next be the last quarter?"

"In a week or two," Hei answered without thinking. "Uh, it should be waxing gibbous right now," he added at Misaki's look of surprise, though that clarification didn't seem to help.

"You said you get orders according to that schedule too?"

Misaki had a long ways to go before she mastered the art of the nonchalant question, Hei thought. "I have in the past," he admitted, "when I worked solo. Here in Tokyo everything comes through Huang or Mao."

"Then how do you know what phase the moon is in right now?"

"I just like to keep track." He fixed his eyes on his curry, and after swallowing another mouthful, added, "I used to stargaze with my dad all the time. Before the Gates."

She hooked her foot under the hem of his jeans and rubbed his ankle. "That sounds like it must have been fun," she said, and to his relief there wasn't any pity in her voice. Just kindness.

He nodded, his chest feeling suddenly tight.

"My dad and I never did anything together like that," Misaki continued, generously lifting the burden of conversation from him. "I spent all my free time with my mom in the years she was sick; then afterwards, Dad was busy with work and I was busy with school. He wasn't even home when Hell's Gate appeared." She paused thoughtfully, then laughed. "Neither of us has any hobbies outside of our jobs anyway; bonding over work is the only thing we know how to do."

Hei wanted to ask her about her mother - he wanted to know everything that it was possible to know about Misaki - but she so rarely brought up the subject that he guessed it must be painful for her. Instead he said, "You have nothing in common besides work?"

"Well, I did get my love of Porsche from him." She leaned over and stole a tofu nugget from Hei's bowl. "When his department took down the Kobashigawa family, the younger son's car collection was seized and auctioned off - as soon as I saw that blue 911 Coup I knew I had to have it. At first Dad was furious that I would buy a gangster's car; but he changed his mind fast enough." She grinned, then immediately turned serious. "But I don't let him drive it - he grinds the clutch."

Hei gazed at her fondly. She loved that car; but he knew that she would give it up in heartbeat if it meant helping someone she cared about. She knew how to let go.

After they'd finished eating, Hei went back to translating while Misaki cleaned up the kitchen. He wasn't seeing anything particularly remarkable in the text; but if there _was_ anything there, he was sure that Misaki would spot it.

When she returned to the living room, Hei glanced up from his perusal of the Korean-Japanese dictionary that he'd borrowed from the library. He didn't really need to look anything up from this particular page, but his hand needed a break - he wasn't used to writing so much. Wordlessly, he passed over his newly finished sheet. Misaki immediately began scanning the lines.

"Why did you draw a box around all these numbers?"

He held up the moleskin notebook, open to the page that contained the original text that he'd duplicated exactly - including the box.

"Hm." Her brow furrowed; she pushed her glasses up higher on her nose, then reached across the table for her laptop.

They worked in comfortable silence. Hei didn't care at all about the contents of the book, but the process of translation was a satisfying mental exercise that he so rarely got to do. But more importantly: Misaki needed his help.

He had trouble admitting it even to himself, but a part of him was terrified that eventually she would get bored with him, or find someone with whom she could have a real relationship with, out in the open. Now that Saitou knew about them, things were even more precarious. No matter how much Misaki trusted the man, Hei just couldn't bring himself to.

For the twentieth time that day, he considered going to Huang and requesting that the detective's memory be erased; he could come up with a suitable excuse. But he knew that Misaki wouldn't forgive him for it, and betraying her trust like that would mean losing her completely. As long as he could simply sit by her side, he could be happy. Watching her hard at work in a tank top and sweats, her glasses sliding inexorably down her nose no matter how many times she pushed them back up, filled him with a contentment that he'd never thought possible to feel.

Hei had just realized that he'd been staring at her rather than finishing the page he was on when Misaki slammed the laptop lid shut.

"What the hell are all these numbers?" she said, glaring down at the paper. "They're not coordinates, or dates, or addresses - I can't figure it out!"

"I'm sure you will."

Misaki snorted. "You have too much faith in me. I'm so tired of leads that go nowhere! So far all we have is confirmation that Hui was behind those amnesia cases. I have Saitou looking into them quietly, in case there's anything that links the victims to the organizational hierarchy; but there's only so much we can do without opening an official investigation. And I don't want to attract the attention of whoever it is that's infiltrated the police."

Beneath the obvious frustration in her voice was an undercurrent of sadness. First her close friend, now the institution that she had devoted her life to…

He reached over and squeezed her knee. Misaki continued to stare at the numbers in front of her, but she laid her hand on his and stroked his knuckles gently. "I'm sure the answer is in here somewhere; I can feel it in my gut. But this may as well be written in code - oh!" She suddenly sat up straighter, eyes bright. "What if that's it?"

Was she this animated at the office? Hei wondered. He doubted it, and felt a warm glow at the reminder that he was lucky enough to see all sides of her, not just the carefully contained personality that she presented to the rest of the world.

Misaki turned to him, her expression eager.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"Is it a code you recognize?"

Ah. There it was again, that subject that they'd been dancing around for the past few days - ever since the Syndicate had sent a contractor disguised as the Black Reaper to kill her. Or pretend to try to kill her, at least; Hei still wasn't sure what the purpose of that particular strategy had been. Fortunately, he could answer this question honestly. He did occasionally receive coded instructions from the Syndicate, but none of the ciphers they used with him involved numbers.

"No."

Misaki deflated a little. "Damn. This is going to be a pain in the ass to break then."

As she sat, tapping her pen absently, a thought occurred to Hei.

"Why did he encode just those orders? Why not the rest of the book, if he was worried about losing it?" Everything else in the notebook had been perfectly clear, even if it was missing the necessary context.

Misaki frowned. "Good question… Maybe these _aren't_ orders, but rather notes to himself. He's using his own personal cipher, one that his employers don't know - information that's important enough to remember, but risky to him if discovered."

Recording information against the Syndicate? That contractor was playing a dangerous game, if it were true.

"If that's the case, we'll have to spend some serious time on this," Misaki continued. "And if the code is based on Korean, I'm definitely going to need your help. When is the dictionary due back?"

"Due?" Hei asked absently. He was going to be next to useless if it was a matter of solving a code. Puzzles were not his strong suit. But if it gave him an excuse to continue working closely with Misaki, he'd take it; he didn't want to become simply a distraction to her real work. Her real life.

Belatedly he realized that Misaki was waiting on an answer from him.

"Uh," was all he managed.

Her eyes narrowed in sudden understanding. "You stole a book. From the _library_?"

He hunched his shoulders at the accusation in her tone. "Technically, I only borrowed it without permission. I'm going to take it back." It wasn't very likely that the Syndicate would be monitoring the activity on his alias' library card - but he couldn't be too careful.

If anything, that response only made her more indignant; but her reply was cut short by the buzzing of her phone.

"Kirihara," she answered, throwing a censorious look at Hei. But her expression immediately changed to one of worry. "Dad - is something wrong?" She paused. "Well, when was the last time you called just to say 'hi'?"

Hei suppressed a smile, and turned his attention back to the notebook, pausing to briefly massage a cramp in his thumb.

"Sure; what do you need?"

It sounded like a casual conversation; even so, Hei wondered if he ought to leave the room to give her some privacy. But there was really nowhere else to go in the small apartment, aside from the bedroom. And there was nothing to do in there. Nothing without Misaki, at least.

Misaki snorted into the phone. "Why would you think that? Anyway, why can't someone from your own department go? I have a lot of work to catch up on."

She always had work to catch up on, Hei was sure. And if she didn't, she would find some.

Misaki tucked her knees up to her chest and cast Hei an apologetic glance. "Spending all evening in a stuffy room full of stuffy people isn't my idea of 'enjoying myself'. Anyway, the Director -" She broke off to listen. "What?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I thought we were done with that discussion. I'm not ready for any kind of career advancement yet."

A long pause; then, "Just who am I supposed to bring?" She glanced towards Hei, and blushed slightly. He tried to keep the curiosity from his expression, but he couldn't help wondering what she and her father were talking about.

Finally, she sighed in evident defeat. "Fine. But you owe me." She snapped her phone shut and glared at it.

"Is everything alright?" Hei asked.

"Fine," she said sharply.

"…Are you sure?"

Misaki exhaled slowly, then set her phone on the table in front of her. "Yes; sorry. It's just that I have a hard time saying no to favors for my dad."

"It can't be that bad?" If Division Chief Kirihara needed help with casework, surely Misaki would jump at the chance.

She shrugged. "I guess it's really not…but it's not exactly something that I'd normally want to do. Have you heard of the Gate Relief Fund?"

Hei shook his head.

"Oh. Well, it's this charity that was started not long after Hell's Gate appeared, to help families of the victims. Mostly it's made up of government officials, CEOs - people who like to throw money at things and have their names attached to something important, without actually accomplishing anything useful." She scowled. "They throw a big, expensive charity dinner every year, and they like to invite members of the police and the military, especially those who were on the scene ten years ago. Since my dad holds a high position, he usually gets an invitation - but apparently this year something's come up and he can't attend, so he asked me to go in his place."

No wonder Misaki was irritated; that sounded like pure torture to someone like her. "When is it?"

"This Saturday." She grimaced. "I'll have to go shopping; I don't have anything that's nice enough to wear to something like that."

Images of Misaki in that red qipao, ripped and torn, her hair coming undone, filled Hei's mind. Idly he wondered what sort of dress she would choose for herself, and whether she would wear it for him when she got home.

"And even worse, I have to bring a date." She turned to him, her tone apologetic. "I mean, obviously I'd prefer to bring you - that might almost make the evening bearable - but that's not really possible. There will be too many people from the police there, and who knows how high up the mole is? Someone might recognize you."

She wanted to take him? On an actual date? Hei wondered if she really meant that, or if she was just being considerate to his feelings. Though it wasn't like Misaki to lie for any reason.

"Maybe I can ask Saitou to go with me," Misaki said, and Hei's full attention snapped back to her, his stomach twisting unpleasantly.

"Saitou?" His tone was a bit sharper than he'd intended. He had nothing against the man personally, but the thought of him taking Misaki to a party was unwelcome.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why not? We're friends."

"I think that might send the wrong signal," he said stiffly, and turned the dictionary to a random page.

Misaki shrugged. "I'd make it clear that it's for work - Saitou wouldn't expect anything else anyway. What?"

Hei realized that he was staring. Of course she wouldn't realize that her subordinate had feelings for her. He wondered if he ought to tell her; but Saitou seemed content to keep those feelings to himself, and he didn't want to upset Misaki's working relationships.

"Nothing," he said. "I just don't think it's a good idea."

The corner of her mouth quirked up into a sly smile. "Are you jealous?"

Hei studied the page in front of him. "Why would I be." He was a contractor; he didn't have feelings like that. And even though someone like Saitou would be better for her in the long run, Misaki had never shown any interest in other men besides Hei, despite the casualness of their relationship. But he still didn't like it.

Her foot stroked up his ankle again, and he sucked in his breath. She reached over and took his right hand, holding it against her chest and gently massaging the tight muscles at the base of his thumb.

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, I'll figure something else out." She sighed. "And maybe it won't be so bad; I've never been to the Keio Plaza, and it's supposed to be really nice."

That name settled like a stone in Hei's stomach; Misaki cast him a worried glance, and he realized that he'd tensed up his hand.

"Keio Plaza Hotel? Saturday?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. Why?"

He really didn't want to be telling her this; but if she was going to be there, there was no way around it. And from her tone, she'd already guessed what he was about to say.

"I'm working on the catering staff there that night."

"And?"

"And, I have instructions to bring my gear. Just in case."

Misaki squeezed his hand. "Just in case of what?"

Was it Misaki asking him that question, or Section Chief Kirihara? Was there even a difference? He was toeing the line that he'd drawn for himself, walking on a knife's edge between his personal and professional lives. Something that he was not very experienced at, as the concept of a personal life was virtually new to him.

"Some of the Syndicate's higher-ups are going to be there, and they're worried about an attack by a rival organization." That was all the information that he'd been given, though others probably knew more. His job was simple: just watch for threats, and head them off without breaking his cover. Yin would be standing guard as well.

Misaki let his hand fall and pulled a sheet of paper and a pen towards her. "What rival organization? Who are the higher-ups that'll be there?"

"I don't know," he said, already missing the warmth of her touch.

She gave him a hard look; then her face softened a bit. "Do you think you might recognize any of them? Maybe we can figure out a way for you to secretly point them out to me."

"No."

The wariness in her eyes twisted his stomach. "No you won't recognize them, or no you won't tell me who they are?" she asked quietly.

He couldn't bring himself to answer her question, truthfully or otherwise.

But somehow she understood his silence. "Why not?" she demanded. "As long as no one sees us working together, it should be fine."

"That's not the point," Hei said, wondering why he had to explain this. "They're my employers."

Misaki blinked at him. "Then what are you doing here?" she asked, gesturing to the notes spread out on the table in front of them.

"Helping you translate a notebook that you found. That's all."

"And when you caught Hui for us?"

"He was attacking you. And I didn't know he was with the Syndicate at the time." Belatedly Hei realized that that was a stupid thing to say; he would have stepped in no matter who the other contractor worked for. But Misaki didn't give him a chance to correct himself.

"So what you said before, about leaving the Syndicate - that was a lie?"

The quiet hurt in her voice was worse than if she'd shouted at him. His hand was resting on the floor right next to her knee; he wanted to reach up and touch her leg, just to have any sort of physical contact with her, but he didn't dare.

"I meant it," Hei said. "I still do."

"But you won't help me with this?"

He rubbed the back of his head in frustration, and stared at the open dictionary in front of him. "It's different. I'll leave them, for you. Once I figure out how. But they're my employers; I can't just turn against them."

"Your employers - who would abandon _you_ at the drop of a hat if it was in their best interest, by your own admission!" There was a clear tone of anger in Misaki's voice now, though Hei wasn't sure whether it was directed towards himself or the Syndicate. "Hei, what exactly do you think you owe them?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Everything."

Misaki stared at him for a long moment. He hoped that she wouldn't ask him to explain; he didn't think that he could. At last she sighed and looked away, folding her arms across her chest. "I guess I really shouldn't be upset that you don't want to betray your employers, when your sense of loyalty is one of the things I love about you."

Her words, so unguarded and unexpected, left him speechless. But then his heart clenched when she continued, "I need to think about this for a while; it's only Tuesday, so there's still time. Anyway, it's getting late and I'm too tired to work on this any more tonight."

He knew what was coming next. She needed space; she needed him to leave. Someone else could help her translate the Korean text.

"Come on; let's go to bed."

He was too surprised to move. Misaki took his hand with a weary smile and stood, pulling him up with her. He held on to that lifeline as she led him into the bathroom, and only reluctantly let go when she reached for her toothbrush. It was a tight squeeze at the sink; but Misaki always pressed in closer to him than she needed to, so he didn't mind.

"Can I -"

But she was already passing him the bottle of mouthwash.

"Hei, I keep telling you, you don't have to ask. Oh, that reminds me…"

Misaki squeezed passed him, giving his rear an intentional brush on her way out of the room. Hei watched her go, curious as she disappeared around the corner into the living room. He took a measure of the astringent mouthwash and began swishing it around in his mouth, subconsciously counting the seconds.

He was just rinsing with water from his cupped hand when Misaki returned.

"Here," she said, handing him a small plastic-wrapped package. "I picked this up for you today."

Hei turned it over in his hands, frowning slightly. "I have my own, at my place…"

She picked up her toothbrush again. "I'm sure you do," she said. Then, around a mouthful of toothpaste, "That's for you to keep here. I've been meaning to grab one for ages."

He didn't know what to say. Misaki rinsed out her mouth, then glanced up at his reflection in the mirror and smiled. "Thirty seconds: ten on the left side, ten on the right, and ten all around. Every night. It's probably been driving you crazy, not being able to brush your teeth as part of your normal routine."

Did he do that? She was right: brushing his teeth and rinsing with mouthwash had been a nightly routine for him for years, some little bit of normalcy that he clung to whenever he could. But he'd never realized that he was that predictable.

"Hei, just take the toothbrush and say 'thank you'."

"Uh, thanks."

Misaki flashed him a warm smile and rubbed his upper arm affectionately. Before he could ask, she handed him the toothpaste, then left the bathroom.

Hei unwrapped the new toothbrush slowly. It was just a toothbrush; why did he suddenly feel overwhelmed by emotion that he couldn't even name? He took a deep breath to re-center himself, then squeezed out some of the toothpaste and began brushing his teeth, relaxing into the familiar routine.

When he'd finished, he set the toothbrush next to Misaki's in the cup by the sink. He hoped that that would be alright; he wasn't sure what else to do with it.

Before joining Misaki in the bedroom, Hei first headed out to the living room. He straightened the papers that they'd left strewn across the coffee table and closed the dictionary, making a mental note to take it back to the library by the end of the week. He checked to make sure the doors were locked, even though Misaki did that herself every night when she got home; then he turned off the lights.

Misaki's reading light was still on above her bed, but she'd already set her glasses on the nightstand next to her side and snuggled down under the covers. Also on the nightstand was a glass of water holding a wilting red rose. Hei hadn't been sure whether she would like the flower or not, and was pleased to see that she was holding on to it even as its bloom died; though surely it would be time to throw it away soon.

He stripped down to his shorts, then climbed into bed on the other side. He reached over Misaki and turned off the light; as he settled back onto the mattress, he ran his hand down her bare arm and kissed her cheek softly. He'd been expecting her to want to just sleep; but instead, she turned her head to take his lips in a tender kiss. She wove her fingers into his hair to tug his face even closer.

"What do you want tonight?" he whispered, slipping his hand beneath her shirt to stroke her smooth stomach. Her muscles quivered at his touch.

"Mm," Misaki murmured into his mouth with peppermint breath. "Something slow, and sweet."

Hei smiled to himself in the darkness. He didn't know what tomorrow held, or how he was going to get through an entire evening of pretending not to know his own lover, all while working a job. But the future was meaningless; all that mattered was the present. And right now, the present was nothing but sweetness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Careful with the doors," Misaki said sternly. "I just had some body work done, and I don't want to see any scratches. Absolutely no joy rides - I know exactly how many miles are on the odometer. You _do_ know how to drive a manual, right?"

The kid nodded, his eyes wide in silent terror.

Kanami squeezed her arm. "Misaki, just give the poor man your keys, and let's go inside."

Misaki gave the boy her best cop glare, then reluctantly passed over her key. The valet took it gingerly, bowed, and climbed into the driver's seat of her Porsche. She held her breath, expecting to hear a painful grinding of gears as he put it into first; but Kanami was already tugging her towards the hotel's main entrance.

"Did he look old enough to have a license?" Misaki asked, craning her neck to watch her car disappear into the rain that was sheeting down outside the portico.

Kanami snorted. "Your baby will be fine, I promise. Now come on, I need to touch up my makeup before we go to the ballroom."

The main entrance was a row of shining glass and brass doors; a uniformed doorman was holding the center door open for them. He bowed deeply as the two women passed. Misaki did her best not to gape at the sight of the lobby. It was… _shiny_ was the first word that came to mind. Light from the chandeliers glittered and reflected off of polished white marble walls and pillars and floor. Her heels clicked as she crossed the room, though not as loudly as Kanami's. She had to raise the hem slightly to keep from treading on the skirt swishing around her ankles.

"Why did I agree to come to this, again?" she whispered to her friend.

"Because how often do you get to get dressed up and go to a swanky party like this - for free?"

"I don't think that was it."

Kanami laughed, her voice bouncing off the flawless surfaces. "Come on, I think I see a restroom over there."

The restroom was just as fancy as the lobby, with more polished marble covering the walls and floor, soft lighting, and modern designer furniture in the little waiting area. There was a long vanity with a row of gilded mirrors just before the entrance to the stalls. Kanami stopped in front of one of the mirrors and dug around in her purse.

Misaki set her heavy clutch down on the counter and inspected her own appearance in another mirror. She hadn't brought any makeup with her, but they'd managed to stay out of the rain, so there was nothing to fix. Not that she'd put on that much to begin with: just a little foundation and some plum eyeshadow, and a quick swipe of lip gloss. Her hair had managed to stay in place, she was pleased to see; Kanami had done an excellent job on it, especially considering that the best instructions Misaki had been able to give her were "Just…'up'".

There was a smudge on her glasses. Misaki frowned, and took them off to clean the lenses with a tissue.

Kanami gave her a sidelong glance. "You know, the color of your dress really brings out your eyes, but it's so hard to see with -"

"No."

She tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't help cracking a smile. In high school, Kanami had tried desperately to get Misaki to start wearing contacts. They both knew by now that it was a lost cause, but the argument was nostalgic.

Misaki replaced the frames on the bridge of her nose and blinked owlishly at her reflection. "Are you sure this isn't too…much?" she asked, rolling her shoulders. The wide straps of the halter top stayed in place, but she wasn't sure if she trusted them to hold her in all evening.

"Misaki, you're the one who picked it out," Kanami reminded her placidly. "So," she continued, dusting on some blush, "if Li has to work tonight, why the new dress? Someone else at this party you want to impress?"

Misaki hesitated. Kanami was going to find out in a few minutes anyway. "Actually, he _will_ be at the party - he's on the catering staff."

"Oh really?"

Misaki nodded. But impressing Hei wasn't really why she'd chosen the dress: attracted by the floaty pale lilac material, she'd tried it on on a whim and had felt so sexy and confident in it that she knew she had to get it. That her lover might like it too was only a bonus.

Now that she was actually wearing it out in public, the neckline of the halter top plunging all the way down to the (admittedly, high) empire waist seemed far too risque for her. Although, she looked downright conservative next to Kanami's flirty lime green cocktail dress. How her friend always managed to look elegant and classy in such vivid colors was beyond Misaki.

"You sure you don't want to go solo, then?" Kanami asked. "I'll feel like a bit of a third wheel with the two of you making goo-goo eyes at each other all night."

Misaki snorted. "We don't make 'goo-goo eyes', whatever those are. And anyway, we'll have to pretend to hardly know each other - and that goes for you, as well. I might as well be here alone. You know I'd be miserable without you."

"Too true." Kanami smacked her lips at her own reflection, then tucked the lipstick back into her clutch and grinned. "Well, thanks for letting me be your date."

"Any time," Misaki smiled.

The two women exited the restroom and made their way to the large dining room. Misaki stepped on the edge of her dress and stumbled, biting off a curse. "I should have had this hemmed," she muttered; but there hadn't been time.

"Or, you could have borrowed my heels; I did offer."

"I can't run in heels." She could barely walk in them.

Kanami arched an eyebrow. "Misaki, this is a charity gala; are you really expecting to have to run?"

"I wasn't expecting to have to run at Alice's party." Misaki regretted the words as soon as she'd said them.

Kanami's face fell. "That's true," she said quietly.

Misaki shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

She'd spent all day struggling against reminders of that fateful event; forcing Kanami to remember too was the last thing that she wanted. This party was going to be different: if a contractor attacked, she would be ready. And Hei was here. He had helped her out at Alice's without even knowing a single thing about her; she hadn't been alone then, and she wasn't alone tonight.

As delicate music and the low murmur of a crowd of voices spilled out into the corridor, Misaki felt her stomach tighten nervously. She was _not_ going to look for Hei as soon as she stepped inside. True, she needed to keep an eye on him - but that was only to try and deduce who he was protecting.

"Ladies, your bags?"

"What?" Misaki glanced at the uniformed police officers flanking the entrance to the ballroom. One of them had his hand outstretched.

"I'm sorry," the officer said, "but we have to search all purses and bags before entering the room, for security purposes."

Kanami raised her eyebrows. "Is there some kind of threat?"

"No threat, ma'am. Just protocol."

Kanami handed over her clutch, but Misaki hesitated. No threat, huh? She made a mental note to look into who had authorized such security. If the Syndicate was smart - and she had no doubt that they were - they would have made arrangements through an innocent proxy. But there might be a loose thread that she could tug…

"Ma'am?"

The officer asking for her bag was gray-haired but still very fit, a hardened veteran of the force. Reluctantly, Misaki passed over the large white clutch that she had borrowed from Kanami. He unclasped it, and his eyes narrowed.

"I'm Section Chief Kirihara," Misaki stated in a commanding tone, before the officer could get the wrong idea. "Public Security Bureau, Section Four, Foreign Affairs. I'm authorized to carry a firearm off-duty."

"Oh jeez," Kanami muttered beside her.

"My identification is in there as well," Misaki added.

But the officer wasn't impressed. "It doesn't matter who you are, Ma'am," he said coldly. "I'm not authorized to allow -"

"Chief Kirihara has my approval to retain her weapon," said a new voice.

Misaki looked over, startled. "Director."

Hourai was standing in the doorway, a glass of wine in his gloved hand. "She's one of mine," he told the officer. Was there a hint of disapproval in his voice? Misaki never could tell with him.

The uniformed man nodded stiffly. He closed the clutch and handed it back to Misaki, then stepped aside to let the two women enter the ballroom.

Hourai exchanged a curt but polite greeting with Kanami, then asked quietly, "Is there a particular reason you felt the need to arrive at a charity event armed, Chief Kirihara?"

"Sir, I felt it would be prudent considering the recent acts of terrorism against the city, not to mention the high profile guest list."

"The police are providing security tonight," the Director observed.

"Yes, Sir."

Hourai regarded her with an unreadable expression; then he nodded slightly. "I know I can count on you should the need arise, Chief Kirihara," he said.

"Yes, Sir."

Hourai excused himself as they entered the ballroom; Misaki peered after him as he disappeared into the crowd. It almost sounded as if -

"Misaki!" Kanami hissed in her ear. "Why did you bring your gun?"

Like most of their compatriots, Kanami highly disapproved of firearms; Misaki didn't particularly like them either. But they were the best defense that mere humans had against contractors. And there was something rather soothing about target practice.

"Are you really expecting something to happen tonight?" Kanami continued.

"No," Misaki said. "Well, not exactly. I mean…"

"Do you think BK-201 is going to try and kill you again?"

The fearful concern in Kanami's voice stirred up a fresh bout of shame. Misaki still hadn't confessed the full truth to her friend, and with each passing day it was becoming harder and harder to even consider it. And after her disagreement with Hei the other night, well, it didn't sound like there would ever be a need. She hadn't quite realized just how hopelessly invested in a future with him she had become.

"No," she repeated, more firmly this time. "I don't think I'm at any more risk than any other person in this room."

Conflicting emotions crossed Kanami's face. She sighed, and gave Misaki a sad smile. "I know you're trying to protect Li, since he seems to be mixed up in this BK-201 business. And I respect that - even if I don't entirely understand it. But you _can_ talk to me; when you're ready. Come on, let's go check out the buffet."

Misaki smiled in gratitude, but it was strained. She desperately wanted to be able to tell Kanami that someone in Astronomics was falsifying data, so that they could track down the mole together; Kanami loved her job, and would be furious at the idea. Which was exactly the problem. Telling her would mean putting her best friend's career - maybe even life - at risk.

Obediently Misaki followed Kanami through the milling throng of cocktail gowns and expensive suits. A low stage was set up against the back wall of the room; currently it housed a string quintet, but there was a podium sitting off to the side. If the hypothetical attacker had any sense of courtesy, he would make his move before the speeches started.

She scanned the room as they walked, surreptitiously searching for signs of suspicious behavior. But the men in their black suits all looked the same, and there was so much movement amongst the crowd that it was hard to track any one person. A dark case by the podium caught her eye, and she tensed. _Bomb!_

…But then the violin player nudged it closer to her chair and fished around in a pocket. Just an instrument case. Misaki exhaled, and shifted her attention to the buffet tables in front of her.

"What do you think cost more - the food, or the floral arrangements?" Misaki muttered to Kanami. The buffet was laid out in shining silver chafing dishes and artistic displays on spotless white tablecloths, with a chef standing behind each one to serve it. The flowers were positively stunning; but the centerpieces on some of the tables were so tall that they prevented her from having a clear sweep of the room.

"No idea," Kanami replied with forced cheerfulness. "But I bet the booze cost the most - so stop complaining and enjoy yourself."

Misaki glanced over to the side of the room, where an open bar was set up next to a pyramid of sparkling wine glasses. A hidden door opened behind the bar; her heart skipped a beat when she saw Hei emerge.

He was carrying a tray of liquor bottles balanced precariously on the palm of his hand. A white cloth was draped over his arm. Like the other male hotel employees, he wore a black and green uniform tuxedo; unlike the others, he looked positively dashing in it. Though she suspected that he would look good in any sort of suit.

Despite his expression of earnest helpfulness, his posture was slightly tense and, partially hidden beneath a shock of black hair, his eyes were sweeping the room. Misaki would never have noticed his alertness if she hadn't known him outside of his 'Li' personality.

Hei set the bottles down behind the bar; when he straightened, his gaze met hers. The double-take that he did at the sight of her sent ripples of warmth crashing through her body.

Eyes still locked on hers, Hei took a step back - and crashed into a waiter who had been just about to step out with a tray full of drinks. The alcohol doused the waiter, and half the room turned to see what the commotion was as glasses shattered on the floor.

Hei bowed deeply in apology to his fellow waiter, looking so flustered that Misaki was sure that he wasn't acting. She bit her lip to hold back a laugh as a manager ushered Hei and the glowering, wine-stained waiter through the hidden door.

"Oh, dear," Kanami said, following Misaki's gaze. "I hope you didn't get him into trouble."

"I'm sure he's fine." It wasn't like he actually needed the job; though she did feel a bit guilty.

"I wasn't staring too obviously, was I?" she asked as they joined the line at the buffet.

Kanami pursed her lips in consideration. "To anyone who knows you - yeah, it was pretty obvious. But I doubt a stranger would have noticed."

Misaki sighed, frustrated with herself. She was never going to make it through this evening. Seeing Hei in that uniform had immediately conjured up images of him in an office suit - dark gray to set off his eyes - and a crisp white shirt. Or maybe blue…

She pushed that fantasy from her mind. It wasn't going to happen.

And anyway, despite appearances she was there to work that evening. She needed to keep an eye out for signs of contractor activity, which meant keeping a close eye on Hei. Without gaping at him like an idiot. She had to be fast enough to stop anyone from getting hurt this time.

"What, no duck?"

Misaki glanced down at her plate. She'd selected her favorite sushi and a shrimp cocktail, but nothing else; the scent of the seared duck was slightly nauseating.

"I don't think my stomach can handle the grease right now."

Kanami raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I'm less comfortable with this evening than I thought I would be," Misaki confessed. She glanced over at the bar; Hei was back, pouring wine and pointedly not looking towards her. "Would you do me a favor and grab some drinks for us? I don't think I should go over there right now."

She had no intention of actually drinking the wine, but she could take a leaf out of Hei's book and get a glass for appearances' sake. Juggling her clutch, her plate, and Kanami's plate, Misaki made her way over to an empty table and sat down to eat while Kanami headed to the bar.

Popping a piece of unagi into her mouth, Misaki went back to scanning the room. She spotted Director Hourai two tables away, deep in conversation with Eric Nishijima. What did the directors of Section Four and Pandora have to discuss? She didn't think that they ever socialized outside of work.

She finished off the unagi in one bite; dear god, that was good. She picked up another piece. A third man, with graying hair and a grandfatherly look, had joined Hourai and Nishijima; Misaki didn't recognize him.

"Kirihara Misaki? Is that actually you?"

Misaki turned in surprise to the man who had joined her at the table, and almost choked on her sushi. She covered her mouth to hide her chewing.

"This is the last place that I would have expected to see you; I'd've thought that you'd hate these events." The speaker was a young man her own age, with close-cropped black hair, glass of scotch in hand. He smoothed his well-tailored suit jacket unconsciously as he sat down next to her and flashed her a toothy smile.

Misaki swallowed quickly. "Actually, I'm only here because my dad made me go." Why had she said that? She must sound like such an idiot.

Nakahara Kaede laughed. "Well, it all makes sense now. You seem a little out of place, even if you do look amazing in that dress." He glanced around the otherwise empty table. "Don't tell me you're here alone?"

She tried not to blush at the compliment; she'd never been able to tell when Kaede was being sincere, or just flattering someone in order to get what he wanted. And was that a dig at her still being single?

"No, I'm not alone; my date went to go get us drinks." She cast her gaze over to the bar; Kanami was still there, chatting animatedly with a woman in a bright pink dress. Inexorably, Misaki's eyes slid along the counter until she found Hei. He didn't once look up as he busied himself pouring, but she had the distinct impression that most of his attention was on her. A smile played across her lips before she could stop it.

Kaede followed her gaze. "Oh," he said, sounding surprised. "I didn't realize - well, you two were always so close in college…"

"What?" Misaki stared at him blankly. Then his meaning clicked into place. "Oh, no!" she said. "I mean, yes, I'm here with Kanami. But she only came because my boyfriend" - god that word sounded strange - "had to work tonight."

"Ah."

His tone was a little irritating. Did he not believe that she and Kanami weren't a couple, or did he doubt that she was seeing someone at all? She shouldn't have even mentioned it, but a juvenile part of her wanted Kaede to know that she was taken. That someone thought her _worth_ taking.

"What about you?" she asked, suddenly needing to steer the conversation away from herself. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Kaede; how have you been? Is Yori here with you?"

Kaede tapped absently on his glass. "No; we split up a year ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." And she was, she realized. When Kaede had left her for Yori in their third year, she'd been furious at them both, though she'd denied it to her friends; but she'd never wished either of them any ill will.

He shrugged. "I only took that position in Sapporo because she wanted to move closer to her family; when my superior was transferred to Tokyo last year he wanted to take me with him. Yori didn't want to move; she didn't understand that my career had to come first. We lasted about two months here before she left."

"You're at the high public prosecutors' office in Shinjuku, then?" Misaki asked, not wanting to get into the drama of his break-up; she was here to stop a potential attack, not catch up with an ex-boyfriend. When was Kanami going to get back with the drinks?

But that was odd; Section Four didn't work very often with prosecutors because of the top secret nature of most of their work, but she felt sure that she still would have heard his name come up at some point.

"The Public Security Intelligence Bureau, actually," Kaede said. Misaki's brows rose. Well, that explained it. Kaede smiled at her reaction. "My superior, Tsukuda Jiro, was tapped for a leadership position, and he brought me along."

"I'm surprised. I mean, I'm sure it's fascinating work, but in college all you cared about was bringing justice to the weak. Why the change?"

Kaede shifted his chair a little closer. "I got curious. Occasionally in Sapporo we would have a very interesting case, something that seemed almost supernatural in nature. And each time, that case would get taken away from our department by the local intelligence bureau and it would disappear, as if it had never happened. Where is the justice in that? I spoke with Tsukuda about my concerns; he seemed to understand what was happening, but he couldn't tell me anything because it was classified."

"That must have driven you crazy," Misaki observed with a smile; she knew the feeling.

"Well, can you blame me?" Kaede asked. "How could I be expected to do my job, and bring justice to the victims of heinous crimes, when I was being kept in the dark and the suspects in those crimes got whisked away into the black box of intelligence work? So when Tsukuda was transferred and asked if I wanted a position under him, I jumped at the chance."

"Tsukuda must be a good boss, for you to follow him all the way to Tokyo."

"Oh yes; I respect him a great deal. You'd like him, too. You should let me introduce you tonight; I believe he knows your father as well."

"He's here?" Misaki asked, not really interested. She always felt so awkward at that kind of introduction, and networking was not her strong suit. It was beginning to sound like something that her father might have orchestrated in order to push her into a promotion.

Kaede gestured. "Just over there, speaking with Director Hourai and Mr. Nishijima."

"What?" Misaki turned in her chair to look at the small group two tables down. The third man must be Tsukuda. Maybe she ought to take Kaede up on that introduction after all.

"I know we didn't part on the best of terms," Kaede said, forcing Misaki's attention back to him. He leaned forward and lowered his voice slightly. "But I've kept up with your career; becoming a section chief so young, and of Section Four no less. Now that I'm in Intelligence, your name crosses my desk quite a bit."

Misaki narrowed her eyes slightly, her mind kicking into high gear. "In what regard?"

"Our office handles the prosecution of all your cases, of course."

"Oh." Of course. She should have realized that; but the Director handled all correspondence with Intelligence himself. It had never occurred to her before to wonder what happened to the captured contractors once they left her custody, and anyway that was above her security clearance. She'd always trusted the system to take care of things. Now, she couldn't believe how naive she'd been. What exactly _did_ the government do with those compromised agents?

Kaede shook his head almost sadly. "I finally learned the truth about those strange cases: contractors. And I get it. Why you've worked so hard, I mean. Knowing that monsters like that are out there, you'd want to do everything in your power to stop them."

"They're not monsters," Misaki interrupted before she could stop herself. It was a word that Hei would use to describe himself; but she didn't believe it to be true.

Kaede's brow furrowed. "Misaki, I've seen your reports. I've interviewed the perpetrators of horrific crimes that you've witnessed firsthand; what are they, if not monsters?"

She picked at a piece of shrimp on her plate. "It's not as black and white as that. I used to think that it was, because in the beginning all I could see was the crime coupled with a chilling lack of remorse. But the more I've worked with them, and talked with them, the more I've realized that really, they're not that much different from humans. They can't help what the Gates did to them; they're just trying to survive, the only way they know how. If you think about it, they just follow orders. Orders given to them by humans like us. They may perpetrate the crime, but we're the ones who instigate it."

"Are you saying that you would actually be comfortable working alongside a contractor?"

She started to shrug, but then thought better of it. No use tempting fate with flimsy halter straps. "I've actually been thinking about it a lot lately. Objectively speaking, it would be useful to have a contractor on my investigative team: they know intuitively how contractors think, which would help us predict a target's moves. They can see specters, which would give us a heads up that we were being tracked. Plus, they wouldn't get involved in arguments or office drama. They'd have no emotional stake."

Kaede shook his head. "Maybe; but they are also notorious for switching sides. You'd never be able to trust them."

That was the biggest issue, wasn't it. "I think it all comes down to the individual," she said. "They do have their own brand of loyalty, believe it or not." In her head, she heard November Eleven's voice: _I'm in the service of the crown._ It was truly difficult to imagine him ever betraying MI-6.

But mostly it was Hei she was thinking of. Hei, who refused to betray the people who had done nothing but use him. He was a contractor who still cared enough for others that he would risk himself to protect them. After Hui had attacked, and Hei had stepped in and worked alongside her team, however briefly, she'd let herself believe - but it was stupid. He would leave the Syndicate, but he wouldn't betray them.

For all that he denied it, there was so much… _humanity_ in him. And he didn't appear to have a price; she hadn't asked him about her suppositions on that topic yet, but the more she thought about it, the more she was sure that she was right.

A laugh from Kaede disrupted her train of thought. "You still do that," he said fondly.

Misaki narrowed her eyes. "Do what?"

He gestured to her face. "Wrinkle your brow when you're thinking."

She sighed in frustration, and tried to force her forehead into smoothness without actually touching her face.

But then Kaede's expression turned serious. "I shouldn't be telling you this," he said quietly, "but I've been debating tracking you down and 'accidentally' running into you all week, ever since BK-201 escaped from police custody. Just to make sure you were alright."

"You knew about that?" Of course; he would have seen Hui's arrest reports.

"I sent the tip to your Director."

"What?" Misaki leaned forward. "Where did you get the intel - is there any way you can tell me? Please, it's important!"

He shook his head, and took a sip of his scotch. "The initial report came through Tsukuda; I don't know what his sources were. But I do know that there's been no word of an additional attack; I wanted to make sure you knew that. Don't drop your guard," he added hurriedly. "Just because we haven't heard anything doesn't mean it's safe. But I didn't want you to be overly worried."

"I wasn't worried," she said. Kaede gave her a pitying look, as if he thought that she was just putting on a brave face. She'd forgotten how irritating he could be.

A buzzing sound from Misaki's clutch interrupted them. "Excuse me," she said, and fished out her phone - while taking care to keep her gun hidden from view. She flipped the phone open to find a text from Kanami.

_Oh my god. Are you okay? Do you need me?_

She glanced over at the bar. Kanami was still standing with the woman in pink, but she was watching Misaki and Kaede. Even across the room, Misaki could see the worry on her face. Hei was nowhere in sight; damn, she was supposed to be keeping an eye on him! But surely he'd find a way to attract her attention if he needed to make a move.

Misaki shook her head slightly; her emotional state wasn't so fragile that she couldn't handle speaking with her ex alone. It had been years ago, after all. But Kanami didn't look reassured.

"Is something wrong?" Kaede turned towards the bar; Kanami crossed her arms. "Ah," he said. "I take it Ishizaki isn't too thrilled to see me. Well, I can't really blame her - I was kind of an asshole in college."

Misaki laughed in spite of herself. "That's true. And for all we know, you still are."

"Oh, come on now!" he exclaimed; but he was grinning good-naturedly.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you finished with your plate?"

Misaki practically jumped out of her chair, her blood suddenly on fire. She glanced down at her clearly not-empty plate, then up into Hei's smiling face. Well, he was wearing Li's smile; but the look in his eyes as he leaned over her shoulder made her suddenly aware of just how revealing her dress was. How could he still make her feel this way, as long as they'd been together?

"No," she said, a little breathless. "Not yet."

It felt like the wrong answer to a question that she didn't even know was being asked. Something like disappointment passed across his face.

"I'm finished with this," Kaede said, holding up his empty scotch glass with only barest acknowledgment of Hei's existence. Hei took the glass with a stiff bow, then left to collect the dishes from another table.

He'd been so adamant about avoiding her tonight; why had he come to talk to her? Was there something important that she needed to know? Misaki was gazing after him thoughtfully when Kanami suddenly blocked her view.

"Sorry I took so long," Kanami said as she handed Misaki one of the two wine glasses that she held. "I got a bit distracted." She seated herself on Misaki's other side, sparing a quick glance for Hei's back.

"Did you get her number?" Misaki asked with a knowing smile.

Kanami winked. "Of course." Then her expression turned frigidly polite. "Hello, Nakahara. Haven't seen you in a while."

Kaede raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sure I deserve whatever vitriol you have to throw my way; but I'm not here to dredge up old feelings. I wanted to speak with Chief Kirihara on professional matters; that's all."

"Hm," Kanami said, pursing her lips and looking not at all mollified, "I suppose I can allow that."

Misaki took a sip of wine. "Kaede was just telling me that he was transferred to Tokyo."

"Is that right?" Kanami's tone indicated that she couldn't care less where he lived.

But Kaede wasn't put off the conversation. "Ishizaki, you're the chief of Astronomics now, aren't you? You know, I've read the most recent papers on doll theory, but I've never actually met a doll in person. Maybe you could enlighten me…"

Misaki only half listened; Hei was approaching the Director's table. She took a big gulp of wine to mask her attention as he leaned in to take their plates - but none of the three men took any particular notice of him. For that matter, Hei didn't seem to recognize any of them either. A little sigh of relief escaped her. If one of them had identified him as a contractor, he would be in trouble. _She_ would be in trouble; she'd have no choice but to arrest him in public if that was the case. Although, it would be a good excuse to finally get everything out in the open…

An elegant blonde woman in a blue dress sat down with the trio of men and struck up a conversation. Hourai and Nishijima responded to her coolly, but Tsukuda laughed at some remark or other. By now Hei's tray was full and he was making his way across the room to the employees' door behind the bar.

Kanami and Kaede had begun a friendly argument on the legal status of dolls; Misaki downed the last of her wine, and stood up - rather unsteadily. So much for her plan to only pretend to drink. "I'll be right back; I'm just going to run to the restroom. Will you watch my purse?"

Her friend looked mildly irritated at being left alone with Kaede; she cast Misaki a suspicious look, but simply nodded her head.

Fortunately, the route to the main entrance of the ballroom took Misaki past the bar with only a little bit of meandering. She paused in front of the wine and pretended to consider the selection; just when she was beginning to think that she was drawing too much attention to herself, the service door opened and Hei emerged. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her there, but he masked his surprise quickly.

Misaki gave him a significant look, hoping that he would interpret it correctly. Then she said to the waiter who was waiting on her choice with good grace, "Actually, I think I'll wait on that glass. But thank you."

The hallway outside the ballroom was mercifully cool and quiet; she hadn't even realized how stuffy it had been inside. She wandered a little ways down, following the signs to the ladies' room. A movement down a cross hall caught her eye: Hei. He made sure that she'd seen him, then disappeared through a doorway.

Misaki turned down the hall; the doorway turned out to be a deep alcove housing an chunky abstract sculpture. She squeezed in next to Hei to keep out of sight of anyone walking down the main corridor.

"What is it?" he asked in a low voice. "I only have a few minutes."

She lowered her own voice to match his. "What do you mean, what is it? I thought you wanted to talk to me."

He shook his head.

"Then why did you come to my table?"

"I'm a waiter tonight," he said, nonplussed. "I was just doing my job."

Misaki wasn't quite sure that she believed that. "What about your _other_ job? Have you seen anything yet?"

Hei paused, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "I thought I said I wasn't going to talk about that."

"I know." There wasn't much space in the doorway. She folded her arms to keep herself from reaching out to touch him. Hei had stuffed his hands into his pockets; she wondered if he was having a similar dilemma. "But I'm going crazy in there, not knowing anything about what's going on. Is there _anything_ you can tell me?"

Hei sighed, then looked out into the hall for eavesdroppers before turning back to Misaki. "I've identified one contractor. A blonde woman in a blue dress."

"How do you know she's a contractor?" Misaki asked, her heart racing.

"She reacted to the sight of Yin's specter in a water glass. Yin is tracking her, but so far she hasn't made any kind of move."

"Any idea who her target is?" That contractor was sitting with Hourai, Nishijima, and Tsukuda - did that mean that one of them was her target? One of them was a member of the Syndicate? She needed to return to the ballroom as soon as possible.

Hei shook his head.

"Okay. We should get back. Oh!" She grabbed his arm as he started to leave the little alcove and leaned close, lowering her voice even further. "Be careful. The men sitting at that table with the contractor - one of them is my boss; the others are high up in Pandora and Intelligence."

He nodded, and she released his arm. But he hesitated before leaving. When he spoke, his demeanor changed from his cold professionalism to something more like his own personality; he hunched his shoulders a little. "Who were you talking to?"

"An old friend from college, who I haven't seen in a few years." Then she added, "We used to date, actually."

"Oh," he said, and that note of sadness returned to his voice. He wasn't meeting her eyes. "I need to get back." Without even a goodbye, he left the alcove.

Misaki leaned against the door frame, disappointment souring her stomach. She'd been hoping to ignite that streak of jealously that she detected in him from time to time; she'd miscalculated. There seemed to be some sort of distance opening up between them, and she didn't understand it. When they were alone together, they worked so well. It was the rest of life that got in the way.

When Misaki returned to the ballroom, her gaze immediately sought out the Director's table. It was empty - shit, she should never have left! But then she spotted Hourai standing with a different group of men. Misaki forced herself to exhale. There was Nishijima, at another table; and Tsukuda, speaking seriously with a young man in a blue bow tie. The woman who Hei had warned her about was laughing in the midst of a small cluster of other women.

Her manner gave nothing away; Misaki would not have guessed that she wasn't human just by watching her. But she could trust Hei's judgment on that front.

Back at her own table, she saw that the woman who Kanami had been chatting with earlier had joined them. Kaede was still there, the three of them talking amiably.

"Misaki," Kanami said brightly, "this is Sekine Hana; she's an ER doc at Tokyojishi University Hospital. Sekine, Kirihara Misaki."

With a civilian at the table, the conversation stuck to banal topics. Misaki did her best to participate; Sekine turned out to be a friendly, personable woman, if a little more reserved than Kanami, and Misaki was pretty sure that the pink tint to her friend's cheeks was not solely due to the alcohol. But her attention remained focused on the contractor. What should she do about Hei's information? She couldn't just arrest the woman; simply being a contractor wasn't a crime. But without knowing who her target was or when she was going to strike, Misaki's hands were effectively tied.

The contractor had left her friends and was heading towards the bar.

"I think I'll grab another drink," Misaki said, eyes still on the woman. "Anyone want anything?"

Kanami's hand was on her wrist before she could stand. "You're driving tonight, remember? Unless you want me to; in which case I'll cut myself off now and you can get as sauced as you want. I'll even carry you home."

Her tone was light, but Misaki couldn't miss the worry in her friend's eyes. "Not a chance," Misaki said, laughing to hide her embarrassment. "I've seen you drive a stick; you're not getting anywhere near my transmission. But if anyone else wants something, I'll -"

"Someone, help!" The cry rang out over the white noise of the ballroom. "I need a doctor, please!"

Kanami and Sekine both leapt from their seats and dashed towards the cluster of people that was forming in front of the stage, while Kaede watched in alarm. Misaki hesitated only long enough to locate the contractor, who was walking at a sedate pace towards the entrance, before snatching up her clutch and following her friend.

When she reached the source of the commotion, she found Sekine kneeling by a prone figure. The man's face was turning blue, his eyes bulging.

"Looks like suffocation," Sekine was muttering to herself as she loosened the man's shirt. "Probably choking." Without ceremony, she thrust as finger down his throat, then withdrew it. "He needs to be intubated - where's my ambulance?" she snapped at the crowd in general.

"On the way, Doctor," said a uniformed officer, one of the two who had been at the main door. Misaki realized that she'd only seen two officers the entire night; that was important, she knew, but right now the _why_ wasn't clicking.

"Jiro, please," an older woman was sobbing; Kanami had her arms around her shoulders and was keeping her out of Sekine's way.

"Don't worry," Kanami told the woman soothingly, "Sekine is a fantastic doctor; she'll take care of Jiro, I promise."

_Jiro_ …with a gasp Misaki recognized the man on the floor - Tsukuda Jiro. But how - that contractor hadn't been anywhere near him for half an hour! She scanned the crowd rapidly: those in the nearest vicinity were looking worried, shocked, mildly interested; nothing suspicious.

A hand closed around her wrist; Misaki brought up her elbow, prepared to fight, when she realized that it was just Kaede.

"Misaki," he stammered, "is that…" The poor man's face was stricken at the sight of his mentor on the ground. Sekine had begun chest compressions.

But Misaki had just noticed a face at the very back of the crowd. A man was watching the scene with a clinical detachment, as if the man dying on the floor was a dull science experiment. The subject didn't matter to him; only the outcome. He was wearing a blue bow tie, the same shade as the contractor's gown.

The man glanced over and caught her eye. With a slight smile, he turned and headed across the room towards the bar and the employees' door behind it.

Misaki wanted to shout "Stop him!", but there was no one to back her up, and she couldn't engage a contractor in the middle of a crowded ballroom.

"I have to go," she told Kaede. Shaking off his hand, she pushed her way through the throng. The contractor had had a head start and was walking rapidly now. Once free of the press of people, Misaki broke into a sprint. She bit back a curse when she stumbled on the hem of her gown and nearly went sprawling. The man glanced behind him as Misaki surged forward; he had just reached the bar, and he paused behind the table stacked high with wine glasses.

Misaki fumbled at the zipper of her clutch. She had no idea what his ability was, but she'd be damned if she let him harm a single innocent bystander.

But the contractor had something much more mundane in mind. He gripped the table and flipped it over, directly in Misaki's path. A hundred wine glasses shattered as the hotel staff scattered in fear and confusion. Misaki threw up her arm to protect her face; the man darted through the door. Heedless of the glass breaking beneath her shoes, she followed.

A hundred questions were running through her mind. But first and foremost among them was: _where the hell is Hei?_


	3. Chapter 3

When Misaki burst into the corridor beyond the service door, there was no sign of the man with the blue bow tie. She drew her gun from her clutch, securing the bag around her wrist by its small looped strap, then crept cautiously down the narrow hall.

A waiter emerged from a door on her left; her flash of hope died as quickly as it had appeared when she realized that he wasn't Hei. The waiter flattened himself against the wall at the sight of her gun.

"Did you see a man in a tux pass through here?" Misaki demanded. "He had a blue bow tie."

The waiter shook his head mutely. There weren't many doors off of this corridor, but there was an exit sign at the very end. That would be her best bet. Pushing past the waiter, Misaki jogged down the hall, her weapon held at the ready.

Tsukuda was dying, if he wasn't dead already. That was no accidental choking - she knew in her gut that he had been targeted. Which meant that he was a member of the Syndicate. What had been Tsukuda's role, and what would his death accomplish? The Director might not allow her to open an official investigation unless she could prove that it had been a contractor-related incident; and even then, she had no inroads into Intelligence.

Kaede would help her. Unless…was he one of them too? He was Tsukuda's subordinate; it wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

As she drew closer to the door, she heard a low-pitched whistle of wind; the door was slightly ajar, as if someone had just run through it and neglected to shut it behind him. Misaki threw open the door and darted through, gun first.

It was a stairwell. Up or down? He'd probably be looking to escape as quickly as possible, rather than hide. Unless he had some sort of levitation ability, that meant down. She strained her ears. Yes, there were definitely footsteps echoing in the concrete stairwell, and getting fainter. Without hesitation, Misaki hiked up her skirt and pounded down the stairs. Floor after floor, inexorably downward in a square spiral.

The woman in the blue dress had just been a decoy. She'd suspected that another contractor would be there to stop her, so she'd let herself be made while her partner did the dirty work. Hei had fallen for it, and so had Misaki. Who were they working for? She needed to catch these contractors alive.

Below her, a door banged shut.

At last she reached the bottom. Misaki leapt the last three steps; she staggered a little when she hit the ground, but recovered quickly. Placing her hand on the large metal door that led to the street outside, she paused to regain her breath - and froze when a voice shouted on just the other side.

"What the hell took you so long?" It was a woman's voice. "I can't get close enough to mark him, he's too fast!"

Misaki's pulsed spiked, in no doubt as to who the woman was referring to.

"Who -" a man began to answer; but a shout of "Behind you!" cut him off. There was a scuffling sound and the door shook beneath her hand as something heavy slammed into it. The sound of someone scrambling to their feet; a grunt, and a screech of metal on metal.

"Careful!" the woman shouted. "Amber said -" She broke off abruptly in the midst of another crashing noise.

Misaki gripped her weapon tightly and drew a deep breath to steady her nerves. Then she turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The downpour of earlier had slowed to a fine misting drizzle that pricked at her bare skin. Through rapidly spotting lenses, Misaki saw the blonde contractor from earlier, kneeling in the middle of the narrow street and clutching her bleeding hand. But Misaki's gaze immediately snapped from her to the sight of the Black Reaper pinned against the side of the building across the street. His knife lay in a puddle at his feet.

At first she didn't understand what was holding him; then she saw a blob of water pressing against each of his hands. A crackle of blue electricity sizzled and sparked in the water until the bubbles burst and showered at his feet. But even as he broke free of the hold, a long snake of water rose up from the street and whipped across his face, knocking him sideways.

The telltale glow of synchrotron radiation caught Misaki's eye: the contractor with the bow tie was twenty yards from her and focused on Hei. Misaki planted her feet, careless of the hem of her dress trailing in the flowing gutter; she brought her gun up and fired at the man's thigh. He crumpled to the street with a surprised cry.

But he managed to hold on to his water construct. Hei had retrieved his knife and was desperately fending off the attacks. He dove to the ground to dodge a lashing strike and sent a current of electricity through a large puddle. But the contractor saw it coming and flung himself up onto the curb. The crackling sparks dissipated harmlessly on the edge of concrete.

It was clear that Hei needed help. Misaki aimed her weapon at the contractor's head. The last thing she wanted to do was kill her suspect; but _he_ didn't know that.

"Don't move!" she shouted. "Or I'll -"

She heard the footsteps just in time. Misaki spun just as the blonde woman lunged at her from behind. She had no weapon that Misaki could see, but her hand was outstretched and limned with blue light.

Misaki fired off a shot, but she hadn't had time to aim. The shot went wide and the woman's hand closed around her arm with a shockingly icy touch. Without waiting to see what the woman's power did, Misaki brought her elbow up sharply, breaking the contractor's grip. At the same time, she dealt a savage kick to the her shin.

The woman fell to the ground; but as she did, she caught hold of Misaki's skirt. Misaki instinctively stepped back - and trod on the sodden hem. Her dress tore from the woman's grip and she fell backwards. She tried to twist to the side and catch herself; but her arm smacked the lip of the curb and her gun skittered from her limp fingers as she landed sprawled in the damp road.

The yowl of a cat drew her attention; Misaki braced herself on her wrists but a searing pain in her arm nearly floored her again. Holding her arm protectively against her ribs, she looked up just in time to see Hei place his palm on the other contractor's head as a black cat leapt away from the man's much-clawed face.

"Don't!" she exclaimed; but it was too late. Hei released his power, and the contractor collapsed.

"One down, one more to go," Mao said wearily. He gave himself a shake, dispelling some of the rain water that was clinging to his fur. "Then we can deal with the lady cop."

Hei's expression was unreadable behind his mask. She wasn't worried for her own safety; but was he really going to kill her only leads right in front of her?

Angrily, Misaki began to push herself into a sitting position, when an icy chill on her arm stopped her. She looked down: a hand print was outlined in blue on her skin.

The other woman staggered to her feet. She was still a couple of yards away, her expression unusually vindictive for a contractor. Then she turned on her heel and ran.

Misaki opened her mouth to shout after her - but no sound emerged. Her chest tightened painfully, and with a spike of terror she realized that she couldn't breathe.

It was as if she'd been sucker-punched in the solar plexus. She pressed a hand hard against her breast bone, trying to manually force her lungs to work; but it had no effect. She may as well have been paralyzed. This was how Tsukuda had died. It hadn't been the contractor with the bow tie after all.

Misaki collapsed onto her forearms, mouth gaping uselessly as her body screamed for oxygen. She cast a desperate glance at Hei, who was looking between her and the fleeing woman.

"Well, we only need the one -" Mao was saying.

"Yin, track her." Without another word, without so much as a goodbye, Hei bolted after the contractor. Misaki could barely hear his footsteps as he splashed past her helpless body over the ringing in her ears.

"Hei, wait!" Muttering to himself, Mao dashed off after his partner.

Misaki wanted to shout out after them, but she couldn't even gasp; the iron band around her chest tightened with each attempted breath. The strength in her arms gave out completely as she tried to drag herself out of the gutter, and she crumpled onto the pavement.

Her glasses had been knocked askew, but it didn't matter. She was alone; there was nothing to look at besides the slumped body of the male contractor across the street, and her vision was beginning to go gray around the edges. Her cheeks were wet; she told herself that it was just the rain.

The hand print on her skin still burned with cold. It was the only thing that she could feel with any degree of certainty, and Misaki clung to that proof of life with all her will.

However, as the gray haze overtook her vision her thoughts began to lose all coherency. She wished that Hei hadn't killed the man. He hadn't needed to kill him. Kanami was probably wondering where she was; Misaki hoped that someone besides her friend would be the first to find her. Who was going to tell her father?

If she could just pull herself onto the sidewalk, she would be fine. Why couldn't she move?

Hei had given her a rose. That had been sweet.

She wished that she could have seen his face one last time.

Abruptly, the burning cold brand on her arm vanished. The pressure on her chest released and precious air rushed into her lungs with a great, shuddering gasp. Misaki nearly choked again on a mouthful of grimy water; but she managed to turn her face out of the shallow puddle and breathe deeply, her lungs heaving.

Her fingers curled reflexively against the pavement and she pushed herself onto her wrists with a groan. The pain in her arm was sharp but nothing compared to the relief that flooded her at the realization that she was still alive. She half-laughed, half-coughed, and tried to sit up all the way; but a wave of dizziness washed over her and she nearly collapsed again.

Slowly, the gray mist obscuring her vision receded. As she waited for her equilibrium to recover, she noticed a dim shape some yards in front of her. It was moving. Before the panic set in, her eyes finally focused and Misaki realized that it was the male contractor. Hei hadn't killed him after all. She would have sighed in relief but she needed all the air that she could get.

Though her body still wasn't quite ready to move, Misaki forced herself to her knees, and with great difficulty staggered to her feet. The contractor was beginning to come to; she couldn't let him get away from her. She had taken a few awkward steps when her foot struck something that scraped on the pavement with a metallic clatter. Shifting her filthy skirt to the side, she saw her gun; she didn't remember dropping it.

Fighting another bout of light-headedness, Misaki stooped and picked up the weapon. She stuffed it back into her clutch - in her current state, she was more likely to hurt herself than an attacker - and withdrew a pair of handcuffs. The contractor was too out of it to resist when she forced his arms behind his back and cuffed him. Between his electrocution and the blood that was leaking steadily from his gunshot wound, he wasn't going anywhere. And the only thing on her mind right now was finding Hei.

Misaki gripped her clutch tightly; taking a deep breath to steady herself, she limped off in the direction that Hei had disappeared in.

Her lungs burned, but she didn't slow down. The cold mist turned into a light, steady drizzle, and Misaki picked up the pace as she splashed down the deserted street. It dead-ended just up ahead - no, it was a junction. Picking the left hand turning at random, Misaki raced on. A flash of blue caught her eye as she passed a dark alleyway. She spun, nearly losing her balance, and skidded to a halt in front of the body of the female contractor.

There was no doubt as to the woman's death. Her throat had been sliced open. Not cleanly, but by somebody in a hurry; the ragged wound gaped and blood covered her chest, staining her bodice nearly black. Her staring eyes were unnaturally white in the darkness.

Misaki felt the bile rising in her own throat, but she forced it down and gazed at the body with a mixture of anger and disappointment. It was the woman's death that had released Misaki from her power - she knew that in her gut, and owed Hei her life for figuring out the connection in time to save her. But at the same time, he hadn't done anything to _help_ her. He'd been prepared to face the contractor but hadn't told Misaki a thing. Tsukuda was dead. The female contractor was dead. All she had was the other contractor.

Abruptly Misaki realized that the alley was empty except for herself and the dead woman. If Hei wasn't here, then -

She spun on her heel and dashed away, back to where she had left the man in handcuffs. As she rounded the final corner, she squinted through the drizzle. There was a car in the street now, and a squat, shadowy figure leaning over her suspect. Damn, why had she put away her gun? Misaki tried to unzip her clutch to retrieve the weapon without slowing down, but even simple coordination was too hard.

A shadow moved to her left. Before she could react, an arm caught her around the chest and a gloved hand clamped over her mouth as she was pulled tight against a hard body. Panic stabbed into her and she started to fight - until she felt cool ceramic brush against her cheek.

Hei maneuvered her into a darkened doorway so that they were hidden from the street, but still had a clear view. His grip never lessened as they watched the figure - Huang, Misaki realized - manhandle the bound contractor into the back seat of his jeep. Misaki could hear the metallic pinging of the rain on the vehicle's roof even from there.

Her chest ached, and Hei's hold on her was only making it worse. The hilts of his knives dug into her rib cage. But his presence and the heat of his body pressing against hers felt so good that she didn't protest.

Huang climbed into the car; a moment later, it disappeared into the misty night.

Hei removed his hand from Misaki's mouth, but he still didn't let her go. Instead, he shifted his grip from her torso to her shoulders. Without ceremony, he spun her around to face him and pushed her against the wall. She gasped in surprise as the cold concrete scraped her bare back.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded. His mask hovered inches from her face.

"My job!" she shot back in a ragged, raw voice, her anger rising up again. She pushed his hands from her shoulders forcefully. "A man was just murdered in there! And you did nothing to stop it!"

His shoulders hunched slightly. "My orders changed. They wanted the assassin, alive."

"At the cost of their own man?" _How_ could Hei still justify working for such people? She couldn't understand it. "Why didn't you tell me? We could have worked out a way to save Tsukuda and still catch the contractor."

"Save him? Why?"

There were any number of rational answers to that question. Because he could be monitored; he could be turned and convinced to inform on the Syndicate. Because he needed to go to trial to face his just punishment. What she said was, "Because he was a human being who didn't deserve to die."

She could sense Hei's scorn even without seeing his face. "He was one of the Syndicate's higher ups; now he's one less villain for you to have to worry about."

"That's not how that works, and you know it! I _know_ you know it! Why can't you just stop pretending?" Misaki could hear the hysteria lying just beneath her own voice but was powerless to rein it in.

"What are you talking about?" There was a nervous edge to his tone.

"This!" Misaki reached up and ripped the mask from his face. She threw it to the side, where it shattered on the asphalt. Hei blinked at her in startlement. "Stop acting like a goddamn contractor all the time; just let yourself be human!"

A thunderclap boomed through the city and Misaki jumped as icy water from a fresh deluge dripped down her back.

"I'm not human; I'm a contractor. Why can't you remember that?" he said in a low, dangerous voice.

All Misaki could do was shake her head. "You have every single emotion that a normal human has; all you have to do is let yourself feel it. You have to feel it; but you keep hiding it, even from me." Despite her anger, she couldn't keep the plea from her voice. She was trembling now, though she didn't know whether it was from emotion, the cold, or if her adrenaline was finally crashing.

Hei reached out and brushed her dripping hair from her face. Misaki pressed her cheek against the familiar leather of his gloves.

"I don't hide anything from you," he said quietly.

Even though she knew it was a lie, she let him pull her against his chest. She wanted to hide there, wrapped in his arms, until all their problems just disappeared.

When he kissed her, it was a cruel, punishing kiss; she clung to him tightly and could feel all his desperation at having nearly lost each other that night.

That, at least, wasn't a lie.


	4. Chapter 4

Misaki didn't know what she had been expecting to find when she returned to the ballroom, but the party continuing as if there had been no interruption hadn't been it. The musicians were still playing, people were still talking and laughing while they sipped at their drinks, and there were even a dozen or so couples dancing. Some kind of waltz, she thought. The only change was that there were no longer any officers stationed at the entrance.

As she entered the room, heads turned to stare at her. A woman wearing a diamond necklace that Misaki's yearly salary couldn't even pay a fraction of gasped, her hand flying delicately to her mouth. Misaki tugged self-consciously at her halter top, but everything seemed to still be in place. Her hair was probably a mess; nearly dying in a gutter would do that. But she was beyond caring at the moment.

Misaki scanned the room, still attracting frowns and worried looks, but she didn't see who she was looking for. She turned to head towards the bar and nearly ran smack into Kanami, who had obviously been looking for _her_.

"Misaki, where -" Kanami's mouth dropped open, the color draining from her face. "God, what happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Hospital? No - I need to talk to the Director; have you seen him?"

Her friend looked like she was about to argue, but the urgency in Misaki's voice changed her mind. "I saw him over by the stage just a minute ago. Come on."

Kanami placed her hand on Misaki's arm as if to help support her; Misaki didn't have the energy to protest. The warmth of the touch made her realize how chilly it was in the room; she shivered a little as they made their way across the room.

"What happened with Tsukuda?" Misaki asked as they walked. She tried to set a brisk pace, but her feet just wouldn't move as quickly as she willed them to. It didn't help that her shoes were soaked through.

Kanami frowned. "The man who collapsed? He started breathing again just as the paramedics arrived. Sekine went with them to the emergency room."

"So he's alright?" Misaki asked, relief blossoming in heart. He would still be in danger from an assassin, if this organization was intent on killing him, but she could get officers to the hospital to -

"I guess. If you count merely being alive as 'alright'."

"What do you mean?"

Her friend shook her head. "He was without oxygen for a long time - ten minutes, maybe more. Even if he survives the night, the brain damage will be extensive."

"Oh." The word wasn't enough to convey all that she was feeling; but at the moment it was the best she could do. Misaki rubbed her forehead tiredly. When she looked up again, she spotted Hourai a little ways ahead, speaking with a small cluster of people. The Director glanced over as she approached; his eyebrows rose. He excused himself from the conversation and came over to where the two women were waiting.

"Sir - has anything else happened?" Misaki asked in a low voice. Kanami was sticking close by her side, but no one else was within earshot.

The Director frowned at her. "What do you mean, Chief Kirihara?"

She realized then that she was the only one who knew that an assassination attempt had even taken place. "Tsukuda was targeted," she said shortly. "Contractor. I chased him outside, but was ambushed by his partner. A woman. I wounded the man, but the woman took off." Then she hesitated; but there was no way to avoid it. "BK-201 showed up and killed the woman before I could do anything, and by the time I got back to the first contractor, he was gone. I called my team on my way back inside; they should be here soon."

Hourai's expression was unreadable, but his grip tightened around his champagne flute. "And BK-201?" he asked quietly.

Misaki shook her head. "Disappeared."

"Your quick response was admirable, Chief Kirihara; but next time perhaps it would be wise to wait for back up."

"Yes sir," she said, chastened.

The Director continued, "We'll have to wait for the medical report as well as Astronomics to determine whether Mr. Tsukuda was indeed the victim of a contractor. Until then, our men need to keep the crime scene as quiet as possible. This is an important event; we don't want it disrupted any further than it already has been. I'll inform Detective Saitou."

"I can -"

"You," Hourai said pointedly, "have permission to return home. You may file your report on Monday."

"Sir, there's an active crime scene downstairs, and we don't know -"

"You've done quite enough tonight, Chief Kirihara. Thank you. You need to rest; perhaps a trip to the hospital wouldn't go amiss either. "

The words were perfectly respectful, but Misaki knew a dismissal when she heard one. She bowed stiffly, fighting a rush of dizziness as she straightened. Hourai returned the bow with a brisk nod, then turned his back, taking out his cell phone.

"Why do people keep asking me to go to the hospital?" Misaki muttered. "I'm fine. I need to be with my team."

Kanami squeezed her arm. "I'm sure they can live without you for one night. But the Director's right - you need to get some rest."

Rest? There was too much to do, too much they still didn't know. She started to shake her head, but was interrupted by a new voice.

"Misaki?"

Kaede had spotted her and pushed his way through the crowd to her side. The prosecutor's face was drawn, a sharp contrast to the amiable expression he'd held earlier. "Damn, are you alright? Do you need to -"

"I'm fine," Misaki cut in sharply.

"I'm taking her home," Kanami added. "Don't worry."

Kaede didn't appear to be mollified. "I saw you rushing out," he said, lowering his voice and glancing over at Kanami, "chasing after someone, when Mr. Tsukuda was…" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. "Was it a contractor?"

Misaki sighed wearily. "I don't know if we'll be able to find the evidence to prove it. But yes. It was."

Kaede's expression hardened. He began to say something, but stopped. Instead, he took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders; she was too surprised to protest. "You should go home and get some rest; I'll pick this up sometime later this week."

Misaki stared after him as he disappeared back into the crowd. Gallantry had never been a part of Kaede's character. She got the distinct impression that he wanted to speak with her in private - did he know something? She tried to put together the bits and pieces of information that she'd learned that night, but her brain was too muzzy to think properly. Maybe rest wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Come on," Kanami said. "Let's stop by the restroom and get you cleaned up; then we'll head home."

Kanami had already steered her through the double doors and into the hallway before it registered that they were even walking. Kaede's jacket was overly large on her, but it was warmer than nothing. She slipped her arms through the sleeves, feeling uncomfortably like a little girl.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to lie down for a while," Misaki admitted. Her head was beginning to pound. Or maybe it had been pounding all along; she wasn't sure. "Isn't the restroom back that way?"

"It'll be crowded. Let's go down to the one in the lobby."

Kanami never once let go of Misaki's arm as she escorted her down to the ground floor, for which Misaki was grateful. She didn't _think_ that she would fall over if not supported, but the effort of trying to navigate on her own was beyond her at the moment.

The ladies' room just off the lobby was empty; Kanami led Misaki directly to the long row of sinks. She said something, but Misaki didn't hear. She'd just caught sight of her reflection.

Her hair was a tangled, soggy mess. Loose tendrils were plastered to her cheeks, and her face was smudged with grime. It was worse than she'd been imagining. Her dress was mottled with wet patches, oil residue from the street, mud, and god knew what else. Snagged threads and torn hems stuck out here and there.

None of that bothered her. What had captured her full attention was the blood.

Through the large gap in Kaede's jacket a thin sheen of red shone dully in the bright lights of the bathroom. It coated the bare skin of her chest and the high waist of her gown. For a moment she was at a loss as to where it had come from; she hadn't been cut at all. Then she realized what had happened.

Her hand flew up to her mouth and she leaned over the sink, nearly retching, her head spinning. Kanami was rubbing her back soothingly, but she only noticed in a disconnected sort of way, as if someone else was currently inhabiting her body.

It was the female contractor's blood. Hei must have been standing directly in front of her when he'd cut her throat. Then afterward, when he'd held Misaki…

She braced both hands on the counter, trying to get a grip on her rapid breathing, but a sharp pain in her left arm made her flinch back. Kanami caught her, and took her arm carefully.

"Where does it hurt?" her friend asked gently, as if Misaki was a small child on her first trip to the doctor's office. Kanami pulled up the sleeve of the jacket and pressed her fingers along Misaki's forearm until she sucked in her breath at the pain.

"Might be fractured," Kanami said. "You should get this x-rayed."

"Can it wait until Monday?" Misaki asked weakly.

Kanami pursed her lips, but she nodded. Then she wet a couple of paper towels, and reached up to Misaki's face.

"I can do it," Misaki said. Her friend cast her a worried glance, then passed the towels over and Misaki carefully cleaned the blood and dirt off her skin with her right hand.

She'd looked upon plenty of gruesome crime scenes, even witnessed brutal murders, without so much as a twitch. The blood and the violence had never bothered her, at least not beyond a level she could deal with. But something about this was more personal, more wounding, like a knife in her own heart. The blood wasn't just that contractor's: it was Tsukuda's, and Alice's, and every person who she'd failed to save.

Hei had killed a woman without a second thought, in order to save Misaki. He'd held her in his arms afterward and made her feel safe, as if nothing in the world could hurt her while he was there.

She wondered if he'd even noticed the blood at all.

Misaki removed her glasses to wash her face, for once grateful that she could hardly see a thing without them. Instead of taking another wet towel, she let the running water fill her cupped hands and splashed it across her face. The cold made her shudder, but she forced herself not to flinch away.

Kanami passed her a dry towel, and Misaki dabbed the water away. Just as she replaced her glasses, the door opened. She glanced over with a dull curiosity; her breath caught when she saw that it was Hei.

He was back in his waiter's tuxedo, though his jacket was unbuttoned and his bow tie hung loose around his neck, as if he'd just finished getting dressed. There was a fresh-scrubbed look to his face, and not a drop of blood to be seen.

Hei stopped a few feet away from her, though something in his posture suggested that he desperately wanted to close the distance. His eyes were filled with worry.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a quiet, guilt-laden voice.

"Not really," Misaki said, her own voice equally soft. She folded her arms uncomfortably, wrapping Kaede's jacket tightly around her torso as she began to shiver. She wanted to run to him, to feel him hold her again; but his uniform was so clean and tidy, and she was still a mess. And a part of her - a large part of her - was so angry with him that she could barely stand to look at him right then.

Hei's expression turned slightly bleak at her movement. "Your adrenaline's crashing," he said. "You shouldn't be alone. I'm supposed to be on the clock for another three hours, but -"

"She's staying with me tonight," Kanami interrupted, gently but firmly. She wrapped a possessive arm around Misaki's shoulders and squeezed. "My normal patients may be unconventional, but I do have a medical degree. I'll look after her."

Hei glanced from her to Misaki, as if questioning Misaki's approval of that decision. She was about to decline, not wanting to be babysat; but then she saw herself sitting in her empty apartment, waiting for Hei to arrive, and waking up in an apartment just as empty the next morning, alone except for the memories of blood.

She nodded.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and averted his eyes. "What can I do?"

That was a question with no answer. It warmed her heart that he was even asking it; but at the same time, it was his own actions that necessitated the question in the first place.

"You…" she started, unsure of what to say. What she truly needed, she wasn't sure he could give. "You should get back to work. I wouldn't want you to get fired." She couldn't even muster up a half-smile for her own failed attempt at humor. "I just want to go home and get some sleep."

His face gave nothing away, which was a sure sign that he was hurting.

"Stop by tomorrow night?" she asked quietly.

"If I can," he said, somewhat distantly. His eyes met hers again; then he turned and silently left the bathroom.

Misaki sagged against Kanami, inexplicably shaking. What had Hei said - adrenaline? That must be it.

Her friend rubbed her shoulders. "Where's your valet ticket? I'll drive."

Misaki didn't argue.


	5. Chapter 5

Misaki stood beneath the soothing spray of the shower until all the hot water had run out and Kanami's tiny bathroom was full of steam. Her nerves slowly began to unwind, and by the time she shut off the faucet she felt nearly human again. Nearly.

Wiping the fog off the mirror, she examined her reflection wearily. She could see dark circles forming under her eyes, and there was no flush in her cheeks despite the near-scalding shower, and. Some blood vessels had burst in her eyes, giving her a raw and strained look. At least she'd gotten all of the blood off her skin, though a few mottled bruises from when she'd fallen were already visible.

She would have to take Kaede's jacket to the dry cleaners; for now, it lay folded neatly on the small space she had cleared from the counter. Her ruined dress was crammed into the waste basket.

She dressed in borrowed clothes: a soft cotton t-shirt and yoga pants. Kanami was a bit wider through the hips than Misaki was, but the pants were elastic enough that they fit comfortably. Brushing out her hair had been a nightmare, and spending a half hour blow drying it was the last thing she felt like doing, so she settled for a quick towel-dry, then piled the damp mass atop her head and secured it with a clip that she found in a tangle of hair supplies in a drawer.

The cozy sauna that she'd created in the bathroom vanished as soon as she opened the door and a draft of cold air sent a chill through her. Misaki hugged herself in an attempt to keep warm.

Kanami had made tea while Misaki was cleaning up; the scent of jasmine wafted pleasantly through the tiny apartment. A teapot and two mismatched, brightly colored mugs were sitting on the coffee table in front of her friend.

"Feel any better?" Kanami asked when Misaki entered the room. She had changed into her pajamas, recalling the nostalgia of their many high school sleepovers. Rain drummed steadily outside. A faint whiff of cigarettes suggested that Kanami had had a quick smoke on the narrow balcony; Misaki hoped that she wasn't stressed because of her.

"A little," Misaki said. She shifted a pile of clothes that had been carelessly left on the sofa and settled next to Kanami while the other woman poured her a cup, which she took gratefully. Misaki tried to protest when Kanami wrapped a heavy blanket around her, but her friend merely gave her a stern look. With a sigh of resignation, she hunkered down into the blanket and let the warmth from the mug seep into her hands.

Kanami picked up her own mug, and they sat silently for several minutes, drinking their tea and listening to the rain. Misaki sipped slowly, focusing on the sensation of each hot measure sliding down to her stomach, warming her blood, then spreading out across her body. She felt heavy, as if her bones had turned to lead and were dragging her down, pressing her into the cushions. At least the nausea seemed to have passed.

Eventually, Kanami leaned forward and set her mug on the table. "So," she said evenly. "What happened tonight?"

Misaki was too tired to shrug. "I told the Director. You were there."

"I heard you tell the Director that Mr. Tsukuda had been attacked by a contractor. But how did you know? I didn't see any synchrotron radiation; he looked like he was choking, but Sekine couldn't find an obstruction. I thought it might be a collapsed lung, expect then he started breathing normally again. It was weird, but nothing about the situation said 'contractor' to me."

Misaki stared into her mug for a long moment, considering her words. "Li told me that his organization expected an attack on one of their members at the event tonight," she said. "And he pointed out a woman who he thought was a contractor. I had seen her speaking with Tsukuda earlier; when I realized that he was the one who had collapsed, I put it together. But I was too late to do anything about it."

"That explains why you had your gun tonight," Kanami said, considering. "But it still doesn't explain you."

"What do you mean?"

Kanami took a deep breath, then said gently, "Misaki, I've seen you handle far worse situations than this without ever losing your cool. I know you constantly blame yourself for things that are out of your control, and I know you don't like to burden other people with your problems. And I don't push, because I want to respect your boundaries. But I've never seen you like this before. And I don't just mean your injuries - you practically had a breakdown in the hotel. I want to help you; but unless you talk to me, I can't."

The obvious pain in Kanami's voice made Misaki look away in shame. She'd been trying to protect her friend; was she actually hurting her more by keeping so many secrets?

She stared absently ahead. Across from the sofa, a brand new television rested on a low, overstuffed bookcase. The wall behind the television was covered in framed photos, ranging from Kanami's baby days all the way up to the present. Friends and family, mostly. Misaki herself was in a great many of them.

She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, and gazed into her half-empty mug. When she spoke, her voice was practically a whisper. "When I ran outside, the contractor who had attacked Tsukuda used her power on me. It felt like all the air had been pulled from my lungs. I couldn't breathe; I couldn't even shout for help. All I could do was lie down in the street and die. I've been in tough situations before, but I've never felt so…so...powerless." She shivered involuntarily.

"Oh god, Misaki," Kanami leaned over and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You're going to spill the tea," Misaki protested weakly. But her friend's hug was doing more to warm her than the shower, blanket, and tea combined. She struggled to keep a tear from escaping from her eye.

"Who cares about the tea - are you sure you're alright? I should drive you to the hospital; asphyxiation isn't something to take lightly." She sat back, gripping Misaki's shoulders and examining her face.

"I'm fine."

Her friend cast her a disbelieving glance.

"Really," Misaki said. "Okay, my lungs feel like they're one massive bruise, and my arm aches, and I have a headache. But I don't need doctors poking at me right now; I just want to relax."

"Alright," Kanami said grudgingly. "But I'm keeping a close eye on you tonight." She sighed. "God, that must have been terrifying. But you're in a lot better shape than Tsukuda was; how did you survive?"

"BK-201 chased down the contractor and killed her before I completely lost consciousness. That was probably when Tsukuda started breathing on his own again too."

"Huh. The Black Reaper accidentally saved your life. That's kind of ironic," Kanami mused. Misaki didn't comment.

Kanami sat quietly for a long moment. Then she said, "That's not all though, is it. You've been beyond stressed out every time I've seen you in the past couple of weeks. What is it?"

Misaki's hands tightened around her mug. The tea was starting to get cold. She drew in a deep, painful breath.

"How difficult would it be to falsify Astronomics data?" she asked carefully.

Kanami blinked at the apparent change of subject. But she considered the question, frowning slightly. "It would depend on what you mean by 'falsify'," she said. "We collect reams of data every day, ranging from the appearance of a new star, to positioning, activity, tracking, and the fall of stars. Some of it is more complex than others, and integrating all that information can be a real bitch."

"What about producing a report that says that a particular star was active when it wasn't?"

"Hm." The Chief of Astronomics leaned her head on her hand, resting her elbow on the back of the sofa. "Activity spectra are definitely in the 'complicated' category. Each star has its own unique signature that identifies it. We collect frequency, amplitude, and information on patterns when the star is active. The spectrum of a contractor drawing on his power and merely holding it will look slightly different from when he's actively using it."

"And you can tell the difference just by looking at the readouts?"

"Trained personnel can," Kanami said, a touch of pride in her voice; she'd always insisted that the technicians beneath her learn not to depend solely on their computer software. "It would be next to impossible to generate a false star report from scratch; there's just too much that goes into it. I suppose you could cobble together bits and pieces from other reports to make it look like a star was active, but anyone who was familiar with that particular star's patterns would probably notice..." She trailed off, thinking.

Misaki didn't know whether that was good news or not. "So, it's possible, but unlikely?"

Kanami shook her head. "I didn't say that. It could actually be pretty simple - just change the time stamp in the system. I'm not saying it would be easy; you'd only have a small window to work with, because there's so much data to line up."

"But if, say, you just wanted to shift the time stamp by a couple of hours..."

"It would be almost impossible to spot the fake," Kanami said seriously.

Misaki felt a chill run through her that had nothing to do with her injuries. As long as suspicions were only suspicions, there was always a thread of hope cling to, that she might be wrong. But Kanami's confirmation had just cleanly snipped that thread.

"I'm guessing that you're not asking out of pure intellectual curiosity," Kanami said.

Misaki shook her head slowly. "When that contractor broke into my place a couple of weeks ago to try to kill me, the intel said it was BK-201. He was dressed like BK-201, even had the same knives. But we caught him, and he confessed to being a different contractor: KN-302."

"You believed him?" Kanami broke in, frowning.

"I believed him." She paused, then said carefully, "Li was at my place when it happened, and he had already told me that BK-201 had done a job earlier that night. Nothing that would leave a crime scene behind, but would require him to use his power a few times."

"Thus generating data for an Astronomics report," Kanami said, her expression darkening.

"Yes. But when I got the report, the time stamps lined up with the attack."

"KN-302... is that the star that you asked me for the logs on, unofficially?"

Misaki nodded. "And they corroborated his story. But since no one was looking for it, no one noticed anything."

Her friend swore. "Someone in my department is falsifying reports? Only a supervisor has access to the raw data - who was on duty that night? Mizuta? God damn his goddamn weasel ass!"

"I can't say for sure it was him," Misaki hedged. "I don't want to get an innocent person in trouble. But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it was."

"Misaki, why did you wait so long to tell me? God only knows what else has been fabricated! I need to open an inquiry, and -"

"Not yet." Her voice was barely a whisper, but Kanami broke off abruptly. Misaki took a ragged sigh, then continued, "I don't have any solid evidence yet. And...and for a while now I've suspected that someone high up in the police has been feeding this organization information. Probably working together with the mole in Astronomics. Until I know who I can trust, I can't make any official moves; you can't either. Saitou is the only other person who knows."

"God," Kanami breathed, settling back against the cushions. "Most of this suspicion is coming from Li?"

The cautious tone of her voice told Misaki that her friend wasn't entirely convinced that Li was a trustworthy source. Misaki couldn't blame her for feeling that way, given how little Kanami had actually interacted with him. She shrugged, then caught the edge of the blanket before it could fall from her shoulders. "Yes. Well, not directly; but it's through my relationship with him that I've figured it out. Another reason why I can't go to the Director with this."

"Both Astronomics and the police have been compromised...what is this organization?"

"They're called the Syndicate; that's all I know about them. But I think their influence goes even further. According to Li, Tsukuda was targeted because he's a member; Tsukuda is high up in the Intelligence Bureau." Misaki couldn't stomach the taste of the cold tea; she eyed the teapot, but leaning forward to pour more wasn't something that her pounding head wanted her to do.

"God," Kanami said again. "If it's true, this is huge. And you're right; until we have anything concrete I don't dare start asking questions. How sure are you that the report was a fake? It could just be a coincidence that KN-302's star was active during that time; or it could even have been planned in advance, to give BK-201 a chance to slip under the radar by claiming to be someone else."

Kanami's questions still held a tendril of hope, hope that Misaki could be wrong. Misaki knew that feeling all too well. She hated burdening her best friend with her suspicions, but at the same time…it was nice to have someone else on her side. She closed her eyes, and rubbed her temple with one hand. "I'm positive. It wasn't BK-201."

"Because Li -" Kanami broke off abruptly; Misaki opened her eyes to find her friend's face frozen in an expression of sudden understanding.

"No," Kanami said in a flat tone. "Misaki, tell me that the thought that just entered my brain is ridiculous, and completely untrue."

Misaki looked down at her hands and said nothing.

For what seemed like an eternity, Kanami sat silently, staring hard at Misaki. A couple of times she opened her mouth as if to speak, but then shut it again, unable to give vent to the right words. At last, she said, "How long have you known who he is?"

"Since before I started sleeping with him," Misaki said, somewhat defensively; though she wasn't sure if that fact was a point in her favor or not. She wanted to curl up in her blanket and go to sleep, and just skip over this horrible, awkward conversation.

Kanami was clearly still having trouble reconciling the revelation. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, and her expression was hidden beneath her hand. Then she ran her fingers helplessly through her hair. " _How_?" she demanded.

Misaki took a sip of the icy tea in an attempt to gather her thoughts. She had no idea where to start; so, she started at the beginning.

She told Kanami about the KV-464 case that had brought her closer to Li; she told her about being caught by Huang, discovering Li's true identity, and the deal that he had made with her. She told her about running into him again on the MSS case, and how they had worked together to help his cousin. And she explained the new deal that they had agreed on.

Throughout Misaki's narrative, Kanami remained quiet, only asking a question here and there for clarification; her expression remained neutral. About halfway through, she poured Misaki a fresh cup of tea, which Misaki's throat had sorely needed. It felt so good to finally get the secret off her chest; but at the same time, Misaki was terrified of her friend's disapprobation.

"It was supposed to just be a casual fling," Misaki said, reaching the end of her explanation. "I thought that if it was just sex, I could overlook that other side of him. But I was in too deep before I even realized it."

She started to lean forward to put her empty mug on the table, but winced as her head spun. Kanami took the mug from her. "Misaki, you can't do casual. You give too much of yourself."

"Yeah, I guess." Misaki curled up against the cushions. "And it seems like Hei is the same way; if he was just in it for the sex, I don't think he would come over as often as he does. He cooks for me, and asks me about my day; he's perfectly happy to fall asleep next to me on the sofa watching TV. He lets his guard down around me, which I don't think he does for anybody."

"He doesn't sound like a contractor at all."

"No."

Kanami made a frustrated noise. "If I hadn't seen the two of you together, I would say that you're deluding yourself and drag you off for a psych evaluation right now. But…he seems so genuine. Why did he let me meet Yin, and help Eunice? That's seems way too risky, even as a favor to you."

"I told you - he has a soft spot for dolls," Misaki smiled for the first time in hours. "You know that doll-smuggling ring we busted a couple months ago? I'm pretty sure the anonymous tip came from Hei. A phone call from a pay phone just two blocks from my apartment, just before before dawn, the morning after he casually asked me where Astronomics' mediums came from - he didn't try very hard to hide it."

"You're only making it harder for me to dislike him," Kanami grumbled. They'd rescued two dolls during that operation.

"Are you angry with me for not telling you?" Misaki asked quietly.

Her friend sighed. "I am beyond furious with you for not telling me." Then she reached out and squeezed Misaki's hand. "But I understand why you didn't. Just - promise me. No more secrets?"

Misaki nodded, her spirits lifting. "No more secrets. I'm sorry."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes; Misaki felt her eyelids start to droop. Then Kanami asked, "But how safe are you? Aren't you worried that the Syndicate will find out about your relationship?"

That was a sobering reminder. "Yes," Misaki said. "That thought is always in the back of my mind. I think that there might already be some suspicion that we're at least working together; that was what prompted KN-302's attack. His instructions weren't to kill me, but only to frighten me. A couple of weeks ago I ran into Hei on a job; he passed some evidence to me. If anyone had seen that, coupled with the several instances where I've chased him down only for both of us to walk away…sending another contractor posing as the Black Reaper to scare me off from trusting him makes sense."

"That can't be good for Li. Hei, I guess," Kanami said, pronouncing the new name uncomfortably. "If his employers think he might be working with the police."

"No. This could be such a great opportunity. If he would just -" she broke off, frustrated. Then she sighed. "I don't just want him in my life. I want him on my _team_. He doesn't have any investigative training, but he knows how contractors think, and he has an amazing facility with languages, which would come in handy in our department. I keep telling myself that he'll decide to come to the police, give us everything he knows about the Syndicate, and help us take them down. But he won't; he sees it as a betrayal."

She rubbed tiredly at her eyes. "It's such a stupid dream. Maybe it could happen in some other, alternate universe; but not in this reality."

"A loyal contractor, huh?" Kanami mused.

"I know, it sounds ridiculous. But that's who he is." Actually, she was beginning to have serious doubts that he was a contractor at all; but it didn't make sense even to her, so she didn't mention it. "He's worked for them since he was twelve years old; who knows what kind of brainwashing he went through."

Kanami squeezed her hand again. "So, what does the future look like? I know things were kind of crazy at the hotel, but when you and L- Hei - were talking, it seemed like there was some tension there."

Misaki leaned her cheek on her hand and closed her eyes. "I don't know. Things have been…off…between us lately. It was fun at first. Having a secret, dangerous lover. But then we started to develop a real relationship, and it's not enough. I want to be able to go out in public with him, introduce him to my friends and family; build a real life with him. Wake up next to him in the morning. And it's getting harder and harder for me to deal with what he does for a living. I'm a cop; I'm supposed to be protecting people, regardless of whether or not they deserve it. And he kills people. Whether or not they deserve it. He killed someone for me tonight, and I hate it." She squeezed her eyes closed more tightly against the slow trickle of tears. "I love him, but I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Kanami wrapped her arm around Misaki's shoulders and pulled her close. Misaki buried her face in her shoulder and let the tears fall, quietly but steadily. Kanami rested her cheek on the top of Misaki's head, rocking her slightly. The last time that she had let a friend comfort her like this had been when her mother had died. Even as she felt guilty for forcing her own burdens onto someone else, it was nice just to be held.

"We'll figure all this out," Kanami said at last, after Misaki had cried herself out. "Don't worry."

"I know," Misaki said, but she didn't really believe it.

Then Kanami said abruptly, "I've always wondered it would be like to sleep with a contractor."

Misaki nearly choked. "Kanami!"

"What, haven't you?"

"Of course not!"

"I wouldn't think it would be very good. I mean, contractors are basically the embodiment of selfishness," Kanami continued, her tone blase.

Misaki felt her face flush. "That would make sense. I don't know. Hei is sort of the complete opposite…"

"Hm. His power is manipulating electricity, right? Have you -"

"Okay, okay, stop!" Misaki laughed, her cheeks on fire with embarrassment. "You've had your payback. I'm not going to keep my lovers a secret from you anymore. Just please don't ask for the details."

Kanami grinned; then she pulled Misaki's head back down to her shoulder. Misaki curled up against her gratefully.

"Kanami?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

Her friend didn't answer, but gave her another warm squeeze.

"Tell me about Sekine," Misaki said, still sniffling a little. "Are you going to call her?"

"Yeah, I think so. The evening ended rather abruptly, but I had a lot of fun talking with her. It was really impressive the way she responded so quickly to the emergency… And she was so hot in that dress."

Misaki closed her eyes as Kanami talked. She tried to listen; but weariness was weighing heavily on her, and she was asleep with minutes.

~~~~o~~~~

Hei stood over the wash basin, up to his elbows in cold water as he scrubbed the blood from his coat. The material didn't stain easily, not like the rest of his clothes - he wasn't even going to bother trying to wash his shirt; that was easy enough to replace.

He was in one of his team's safe houses: a utility room in the back of a drug store. Aside from the wash basin, there was a low cot in the corner and a single light bulb hanging by a wire from the ceiling. As in all of their safe houses, he had found a duffel bag with a change of civilian clothes, a medical kit, a set of his typical tactical gear, and an extra mask. But he only had the one coat.

It wasn't like the blood would show - deep crimson on darkest black was all but invisible. But the scent always lingered, that tangy, metallic bite. If he didn't wash it all out, he'd be able to smell it every time he put the coat on.

He tried to keep his mind focused on his task, the repetitive scrub scrub scrub under the water, but, like they always did, his thoughts kept drifting to Misaki.

She'd nearly been killed tonight. The image of her stricken face, panicked and confused after the contractor's attack, was burned indelibly into his memory, and it made his blood run cold to recall it. He'd saved her. He'd taken a chance and gotten lucky; if he'd been wrong, or too late, and she'd had to die, alone…

He closed his eyes briefly, then grabbed the cannister of salt that he'd taken from the drug store and poured some into his hand to make a wet paste. The bloodstains weren't visible, but he could feel where they clung to the fabric. Locating a particularly stubborn spot, he applied the paste and used the abrasiveness of the salt to scrub it away.

He'd never seen Misaki so upset with him. She was right to be angry; she would never have been in that position if not for him. He shouldn't have given in and told her about spotting the contractor; then she would have stayed at the party, safe and oblivious. She probably felt guilty for not being able to stop the attack; maybe _he_ should have tried to do it. But his orders were to let it happen.

And the sight of her standing in the restroom, blood staining her dress (blood shed by him), wrapped in another man's jacket. He'd wanted nothing more than to hold her again, to reassure himself that she was still alive; to take her home and keep watch over her while she slept in warm safety.

But she had other friends to do that for her, other men who could lend her their jackets to keep her warm; she didn't need him. Why would she need someone who couldn't even be seen speaking to her in public?

She didn't need him; Hei was the one who needed _her_. She reminded him that there were still good people in the world; that there might still be some good left in him. And she'd saved his ass in that fight tonight.

His hands froze. During the fight, he'd distinctly heard one of the contractors mention Amber's name. In his fear for Misaki he'd nearly forgotten it. Did Amber know about her? If she did, what would she do? His expression hardened, and he resumed scrubbing with renewed vigor. Amber wasn't going to get anywhere near Misaki; Hei would kill her first.

Hei rinsed out the coat, then hung it from an exposed pipe suspended from the ceiling to dry. He'd sleep here tonight. If he could.

Among the supplies in the medical kit was a single-use toothbrush. Hei took it out, staring at it for a long, long moment, before unwrapping it and brushing his teeth, subconsciously counting the strokes. When he'd finished, he threw it into the metal trash can with a loud clang.

He lay down on the cold cot and closed his eyes, images of Misaki lying in a blood-soaked gutter filling his mind, unbidden and unbanishable.

~~~~o~~~~

The fierce growling of his stomach woke Hei from a fitful sleep. Warm sunlight streaming through a high window above the wash basin told him that it was morning. He rose, somewhat stiffly, and checked his coat. It smelled a bit like brine, but there was no trace of that subtle copper tang that indicated blood.

After cleaning up all traces of his presence and checking that the white button-down shirt wasn't too wrinkled for being slept in, Hei left the safe house and headed down the street to a diner for breakfast. The place was mostly empty this early on a Sunday morning; just one other patron and two waitresses. Putting on a fake, friendly smile, he ordered coffee, a stack of pancakes, and a bowl of rice with natto and fried eggs.

His food had just arrived when another patron walked in: a man with his hands hidden in the pockets of his windbreaker and a baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes. Hei didn't recognize him, but something about the man pinged his instincts and his senses went on high alert.

The man sat down in the booth directly behind Hei and ordered a coffee. Hei poured maple syrup over his pancakes and tried to ignore the nagging itch of having a potential threat out of his line of site.

The stranger's coffee arrived, and minutes went by. Hei was just beginning to relax - the problem with being hypersensitive was that you ran into more false alarms than positive - when the man said quietly, "I don't know what sort of game you think you're playing."

Hei said nothing, and dug into his rice, the cold metal of the fork digging into his skin as he gripped it. A fork wasn't much of a weapon, but it was something.

The soft thwack of a manila envelope landing on the bench beside him drew his attention. He set the fork down carefully, and picked up the envelope. Opening it, he found a series of photographs. His blood ran cold.

From the angle, it looked like the photos had been taken from a high-story window in the Keio Plaza Hotel. The lens wasn't the best, and the drizzling rain obscured the view a bit, but Hei and Misaki were clearly recognizable. It was clear that their interaction was amorous in nature. It was clear that it was mutual.

He stared at the pictures for a long minute; then, forcing himself to stay calm and in control, he slipped them back into the envelope and tucked the envelope under his windbreaker, which was sitting on the bench next to him.

"Fortunately for you," the stranger continued, "the Syndicate has an interest in keeping her alive. But that can change. You need to be sure whose side you're on."

The jingle of coins told him that the man had left money for his coffee on the table; then the stranger rose with a squeak of the vinyl cushion and walked past Hei's booth without so much as a sideways glance. Hei watched him go, memorizing everything from the the barely-visible profile of his face, the way he hunched his shoulders, to the ever-so-slight favoring of his right knee. He considered killing the man right then and there; but it would be pointless. There were witnesses; and besides, there would be copies of the photos, and some kind of mechanism to have them sent out in the event of the man's disappearance.

Hei returned to his breakfast, his appetite gone, the photos burning a hole through the bench beside him.


	6. Chapter 6

_Fortunately for you, the Syndicate has an interest in keeping her alive. But that can change._

The words echoed in Hei's mind on an endless loop as he made his slow way back to his own neighborhood, the bright midmorning sun doing nothing to warm the chill that had settled deep in his bones. His shoes sloshed through puddles left over from last night's storm, but he hardly noticed.

They knew.

_You need to be sure whose side you're on._

He'd never had to worry about 'sides' before. He'd always been on Bai's side; Bai was with the Syndicate. It was simple. Now…whose side _was_ he on?

No, that was stupid. He was a contractor, no matter what Misaki had deluded herself into thinking; contractors proceeded according to their own self interest, without loyalties. They didn't take sides. Hei didn't either. He'd only remained with the Syndicate for as long as he had because it was convenient. And his best shot at finding his sister again. He had to think about the problem rationally.

He stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, scanning his surroundings as he walked. There had been no sign of the man in the baseball cap since he'd left the diner. How much did that man know, and who had he told?

Misaki had been sure that the false assassination attempt had been aimed at frightening her away from Hei. That made sense if the Syndicate suspected him of cooperating with the police. If someone had been in the dockyard a couple of weeks ago, that would be a rational conclusion for them to draw. Hei had given Misaki that envelope in order to help her out; but to a watcher, it would look like he was simply saving his own neck. That Misaki hadn't tried to kill him suggested a history between them. So knowing that both he and Misaki would be at the charity event, they'd sent someone to keep an eye on him, and ensure that their scheme the week before had worked - that Misaki no longer trusted him.

Or had they had another reason to be there? Hei frowned slightly to himself. If the Syndicate had known that it was Amber's organization who were after the target at that gala, maybe they just wanted to be sure that Hei wasn't going to join _her_. They'd ordered him to stay away from her, after all, and he'd ignored that order completely. Huang had even shot him over it.

He wished that he could talk this over with Misaki; she was so much better than he was at thinking through problems logically and making connections between seemingly random pieces of information. Her forehead would furrow, and she would tap her pen absently. If she was thinking especially deeply, she would go completely still, making him hold his breath for fear of startling her out of her thoughts.

_You need to be sure whose side you're on_.

Hei tried to place himself in the shoes of the watcher in the hotel. He'd been sent to observe an operative known to have made contact with the police previously. Despite there being a police presence at the job, the operative had followed through on his orders: he'd let the target be eliminated and he'd captured one of the enemy assets. Chief Kirihara had interfered, but she hadn't done anything to compromise the operative or the objective. All she'd done was get in the way and been nearly killed as a result.

_Hei_ had acted fast to save Misaki. _BK-201,_ the Black Reaper, an assassin known for his ruthlessness, had eliminated a loose end. That that action had saved Chief Kirihara was only coincidental.

That story made sense, Hei decided. If he hadn't been so stupid as to kiss her out in the open like that, everything would still be fine. If he hadn't -

Hei forcibly shut down that self-blame reflex. _Emotions are meaningless distractions_ , he reminded himself. _Focus on the problem at hand_.

The photos. That was the problem. What exactly did it look like to the Syndicate?

That was a difficult question to answer, so he turned it around. What would Misaki make of the pictures, if it had been a different contractor and a different police woman in them? He thought about it carefully as the blocks passed by beneath his feet.

The answer was simple enough: that the operative was stringing the cop along, flirting with her, attempting to seduce her, in order to use her. To get her to trust him and enable him to play a double game. It was dangerous, but if he was planning on betraying his own organization, or simply running his own line on the side, it might be worth it. Wasn't that exactly what he'd been worried that Misaki would think he was doing, when they'd first begun seeing each other?

_You need to be sure whose side you're on_.

Contractors didn't form emotional bonds or romantic entanglements, not without ulterior motives. It was laughable to think otherwise. The Syndicate had no idea what Misaki actually meant to him, Hei realized with an audible exhalation of relief. They thought that he was playing her, and were warning him not to stray too far from the fold. As long as he was careful to not move against the organization, they were safe. _She_ was safe.

For now, at least. _The Syndicate has an interest in keeping her alive_. He hated the idea that Misaki was on the Syndicate's radar at all - though given her position, of course she would be - but it frightened him a little to think that they might have a purpose for her. Well, that was pure speculation. Most likely they simply wanted to avoid the potential mess that her removal would cause. The Syndicate didn't like messes; they liked order. And Misaki's leadership kept her department running in clean and tidy order.

The question now was: should he tell her?

A flash of blue from a nearby puddle caught his eye, and he froze momentarily.

_Yin_.

The specter seemed to regard him calmly - as if dolls, let alone their specters, had emotion like that - then dissolved back into the water. Hei paused only briefly, then turned down a route that would take him to the tobacco shop rather than his apartment, worry gnawing at his stomach. They didn't have a debriefing scheduled; had the man in the baseball cap shared the photos with Huang? His footsteps quickened.

Yin was sitting still and silent in the window of the shop when he arrived. He walked past without acknowledging her, then turned into the narrow street beside the shop and slipped into the back door.

No one was there besides the doll; she didn't appear to notice his entrance. Hei settled on the floor against a wall, out of sight from the street. Yin continued to stare straight ahead, her fingers trailing lightly in a bowl of water that was placed next to the cushion on which she knelt. Hei watched her; there was something calming about the sight.

"It must be nice for you when it rains," he told her quietly.

She nodded her head slightly.

"What do you look at?"

Yin paused the motion of her hand, as if surprised by the question. Then she said, "Everything."

Hei didn't reply, and they sat quietly. A minute passed by. Then five. Then twenty. No one else arrived. At last, Hei asked, "Did Huang tell you to send a specter to me?"

"No."

The relief that he felt at that surprised him, and he relaxed against the wall. It shouldn't have worried him to have to explain himself to Huang or Mao. If anyone in the Syndicate knew, it shouldn't matter who it was who did. Yet, he dreaded the idea of having to face his teammates.

Hei had always worked best alone; at least, he had since he'd lost Bai. When he did have to cooperate with a team, it was always temporary. They didn't trust him any more than he did them. That was far too risky. A contractor would betray you in an instant; humans were emotional and unpredictable. And something about the Black Reaper always seemed to unsettle people on general principle. Not that he minded.

This was the longest that he'd ever worked with the same team outside of South America. And even though they were a complete mess, they…worked. Huang shouted at him and called him a freak to his face - but he'd covered for Hei when he'd needed it. Mao had never failed to come through during an operation. And Yin watched their backs, even when she wasn't instructed to.

But if they found out that he'd let Misaki go without wiping her memory, that she knew his identity and probably theirs as well, they would turn on him. They would be right to. At best, their little team would be scattered across the globe; Yin would be alone. At worst, they'd be killed. Hei was used to death. He was resigned to being the cause of it. He didn't want their blood on his hands.

"She swam for a long time this morning."

Yin's words abruptly pulled Hei out of his thoughts. His mouth turned down, and he looked away.

He didn't want Misaki's blood on his hands either.

~~~~o~~~~

Hei spent the rest of the morning sitting with Yin in the tobacco shop, until his stomach began growling once again. He didn't feel like eating, but his body didn't particularly care about his emotional state. So he headed to his favorite ramen stand for lunch; with nothing better to do after that, he walked. And thought about what to tell Misaki.

It didn't seem to matter how many times he turned the question over in his head; there was no easy answer. He had no doubt as to what Misaki would say if he told her about his encounter that morning: that this was the perfect opportunity for him to betray the Syndicate and go over to the police. If the Syndicate knew that they were working together even superficially, there was no longer any reason to hide it. A little glow of hope flared up at the idea of being able to stand beside her, as her partner rather than her illicit lover.

But the flame was doused just as quickly as it had appeared. That would mean turning against the organization that had saved his and his sister's lives. Contractors didn't have loyalties; but there was history there, a decade's worth of it. He'd been in the Syndicate's care, such as it was, for longer than he could remember living with his own family.

Another sobering thought crashed down on him. A week ago, giving himself up was what Misaki had wanted. But what about today?

He remembered their argument in the alley, her anger. Her helpless and horrified expression when he'd found her in the ladies' room. Misaki was everything that was good, and pure, and bright. Where light touched shadow, it destroyed the darkness. Walking away from the Syndicate wouldn't change who he was. It wouldn't negate the things that he had done. He could bask in her light for a time, but together they wouldn't last. He'd always known that. And after last night…she probably wasn't going to want to see him again. And he couldn't blame her.

Frustrated with this useless thinking, Hei turned into a nearby park. He needed something to get his mind off of things for a while; so he pulled a worn paperback out of his back pocket and stretched out onto a bench to read. It was a beautiful day, perfect for spending time outside; the sun had warmed the wooden slats beneath his back. If it was any warmer he might have fallen asleep, though there was a bit too much foot traffic through the park for him to get any kind of real rest.

For a while, the distraction worked: he was able to focus enough to get through an entire chapter while keeping some of his attention alert to the activity around him. There wasn't much room left over for him to dwell on Misaki.

Then someone walked by his bench, close enough that he tensed slightly; his book was blocking his view of the person, but there was nothing particularly threatening about their presence. Hei had just decided to dismiss the person as just a casual passerby when his feet were unceremoniously shoved off the bench.

"It's rude to take up a whole bench like that - other people use this park too, you know."

Hei froze in the middle of sitting up; he realized that he was gripping the book in preparation to use it as a weapon, and lowered it slowly instead, carefully completing his motion to sit upright.

His cousin was seated on the bench next to him. Having made room for herself, Jiao-tu was now ignoring him completely and removing a notebook from the messenger bag at her feet.

"What are you doing?" Hei asked slowly.

She arched an eyebrow and tapped her notebook with a pink highlighter. "Studying. It's a nice day out, and I didn't want to spend it in the library." She looked down at her notes. "Besides, you looked lonely."

"You can't -"

"If you didn't want to run into me, then you shouldn't have come down to the university," Jiao-tu told him; her voice was calm, but there was a nervous tension in her shoulders. A rabbit terrified that she'd just provoked the wolf.

Hei gazed around the park, taking it in clearly for the first time. It was the park right outside Tokodai, where he'd killed two contractors and run into Jiao-tu. How long ago had it been - three months? Was that all?

"Oh," he said stupidly. "I didn't realize."

Jiao-tu relaxed at his words, and she snorted. "For a super-spy, you're kind of oblivious sometimes."

Hei scowled, but his heart wasn't really in it. There was a hedge behind the bench, and no one in the vicinity who could be watching. Regardless, it would be safest for them both if he walked away. But he didn't feel like going back to his apartment, and there wasn't anywhere else for him to be. Resting his elbow on his knees, he opened the book again.

"I have a lot on my mind," he said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Oh. Okay." Jiao-tu returned to her notes. For about two minutes. "What are you reading?"

Hei showed her the cover of the book.

"Is it any good? Oh, you're not very far into it; I guess you can't know yet."

He shrugged. "I've already read the middle. But I have to read the beginning before I can read the end."

Jiao-tu wrinkled her nose. "Why?"

"Because otherwise that's cheating, apparently." The ghost of a smile touched his mouth.

"You borrowed the book from Chief Kirihara?"

Hei looked up at his cousin in surprise. She grinned, then held out a slip of paper. Hei recognized it as the McDoness receipt that Misaki had been using as a bookmark; her name had been printed at the top.

He took the receipt from Jiao-tu with a sigh; it must have fallen when he'd sat up. "Yes," he admitted.

Jiao-tu's grin widened, but then faltered at his expression. "Things aren't going well?" she asked with concern.

Hei shrugged again, his eyes fixed on the page in front of him. "We had sort of an argument last night."

"Oh, I'm sorry - what about?" Jiao-tu tucked her feet up on the bench to sit cross-legged, apparently settling in for a long talk.

"I killed a woman in front of her."

His cousin's face visibly paled; Hei expected to her to grab her things and run. Instead, she said, in a quiet voice that was very nearly steady, "Oh. Why did you do it?"

"It doesn't matter why."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

He shot her a stern look, silently telling her to drop the subject. Jiao-tu met his gaze without flinching, a stubborn, determined gaze that he recognized from their childhood. He sighed inwardly, then said, "It was a contractor, who would have killed Misaki if I hadn't done it."

"Well, that's…um…I mean, it's not good, but it is understandable, I guess. Why would Chief Kirihara be upset with you because of that?"

"It isn't just that," Hei said, shaking his head. "She isn't the sort of person to bend the rules; but in order to be with me, that's what she has to do. All the time. It isn't fair to her."

Jiao-tu was silent for a long moment, sucking on the cap of her highlighter in thought. "Well," she said at last, "what are you going to do about it?"

"I…I don't know. I should just break things off, and stay away from her." Saying it out loud made the choice so much more clear…and more painful.

"Is that what she wants?"

Hei didn't answer, and his cousin gave a huff of irritation.

"You haven't talked to her about it, have you," she said accusingly, and punched his shoulder. Hard. "Tian, when did you become such an idiot?"

He flinched a little at the use of that name. And that was hardly a fair criticism - the former Tian would have been just as hopeless, he was sure.

"I don't think she even wants to see me," he said.

Jiao-tu opened her mouth - to call him an idiot again, probably - but just then her phone rang. She pulled it from her back pocket and glanced at the screen, brushing aside a blackened plastic charm shaped like a dragon. Her eyebrows rose, and she gave Hei a significant look. "It's my brother," she told him, then answered the phone. "What is it, dummy?"

Hei shifted awkwardly on the bench and returned his attention to his book, doing his best to ignore her conversation. The casual insults and easy banter on her side reminded him too much of their childhood, and the fact that he no longer had a family that he belonged with. It didn't help that the names and events she was referencing were completely unfamiliar to him. He'd had a family, once. They'd died. And those who hadn't had moved on and left him behind.

"God, what is it with men and refusing to have a simple conversation, like a normal human being!" Jiao-tu exclaimed, and Hei looked up. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Go _talk_ to her, you idiot!" It took Hei a moment to realize that she was speaking to her brother and not to him.

She snorted. "You're welcome." Then she turned to Hei and made a gesture with the phone: asking if he wanted to speak with his cousin. Hei shook his head, his heart suddenly pounding in fear. Jiao-tu gave him a sad look, but didn't press the issue. "Yeah, yeah," she said into the phone. "Talk to you later. Big dumb ox."

She ended the call with a smile and put away her phone; before she could begin telling Hei the news from Xi'an, he said, "Your Japanese has gotten a lot better." Until she'd answered the phone in Chinese, he hadn't even realized that they'd been speaking Japanese.

"Oh, thanks," Jiao-tu said, blushing a little at the praise. "I've been practicing more. And I've got a private tutor now," she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Hei remembered seeing her walking across campus hand-in-hand with a young man, and narrowed his eyes.

Jiao-tu laughed. "Jiang's already threatened to kill him if he hurts me, so I'll tell you the same thing that I told my brother - I don't need you to protect me."

"I know you don't," Hei told her softly. A long shadow had slowly been creeping over the pages of his book, and he glanced up at the sky. Sunset was only an hour away.

"I need to go." Stuffing his book back into his pocket, he stood.

His cousin gave him a sad smile. "Alright. Are you going to talk to Kirihara?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Her smile warmed. "You'd better. See you around?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. He started to walk off, then turned back. "Hey - thanks."

Jiao-tu waved her hand carelessly, her head bent over her notebook. "Yeah, whatever," she said. But Hei could see her smiling still behind her curtain of hair.

~~~~o~~~~

Before heading home, Hei first walked to Misaki's neighborhood. He scanned the area carefully, but there was no sign of anyone watching. Not even a specter.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Misaki had the night off. Usually on such days, Hei would arrive at her place early and cook dinner for them both. As he glanced up at her bedroom window, he saw her scarf hanging in clear view, and his stomach twisted with anxiety. He doubted that he could just show up at her door and expect that nothing would have changed since last week. Talk wouldn't change anything; but, he supposed that he at least owed her the chance to tell him that it was over.

But it was too early; an extended evening, complete with dinner, might just make things more awkward. He would cook for himself at his own place, then come back here afterward and see what she had to say.

He picked up some groceries on his way home; when he reached his apartment, there were people waiting there for him.


	7. Chapter 7

When Misaki arrived at work on Monday morning, the first thing that she did was hold a briefing with her team concerning the contractor activity during the Gate Relief Fund charity dinner. They hadn't found anything new at the scene outside the hotel, and Astronomics' reports verified everything that Misaki had seen. She hadn't been sure that they would; it seemed that the Syndicate had no need to cover up anything that had happened Saturday night.

"Matsumoto, do you have an update on Tsukuda Jiro's condition?" Misaki asked as soon as they'd all settled around the conference table.

The older man nodded. "It hasn't changed since last night. He isn't stable enough for a thorough neurological examination, but the doctor I spoke with wasn't optimistic. The oxygen deprivation was severe, and it's unlikely that he will recover any higher brain function."

"Damn," Misaki muttered.

"How sure are we that this was a contractor attack?" Kouno asked. "The docs didn't find evidence of anything abnormal."

"The first burst of activity from FI-426 lines up with Tsukuda's collapse," Ootsuka stated.

"Yeah, but we don't know what her ability was," Kouno countered. "We don't have any data on her at all. The Chief followed her outside, sure, but who knows what she was actually up to. Could be completely unrelated."

"Her power was to remove the air from the lungs," Misaki said. Her team looked to her in surprise. She hadn't written her report yet; all they knew was what the Director had told Saitou Saturday night: that she had chased a contractor out of the hotel and witnessed a fight between two unknowns and BK-201.

She continued, "FI-426 used her ability on me when I tried to break up the altercation."

As she explained what had happened - the abbreviated version that she had given the Director - the expressions around the table grew more serious. Saitou's gaze fixed on the brace on her arm that she'd borrowed from Kanami the previous day. Misaki tried not to fidget with it.

"So," Matsumoto said when she had finished, "it seems possible that Mr. Tsukuda was targeted. Not all that unsurprising, considering his position in Intelligence."

"If we can get access to his files, that might tell us something about who those contractors were working for," Kouno mused.

"Unlikely," the older man said. "Intelligence isn't known for their willingness to cooperate with outside departments, no matter what our clearance level."

Misaki tapped her pen on the table. "I have a contact who works - worked - under Tsukuda; I'm meeting with him later today. He might be able to give me something."

Ootsuka's eyes lit up. "That young man who called this morning?"

Misaki grimaced. Kaede had called the office to set up a lunch appointment before she had even made it to her desk. He'd claimed to just need his suit jacket returned, but Misaki was nearly positive that that was only a pretext. "Yes. But I have a hunch that our suspects are with EPR."

"Why do you say that?" Saitou asked.

"Just a hunch," Misaki said, giving him a significant look. His eyes narrowed slightly in understanding. All she had to go on was the name 'Amber', and that had come from Hei. "So I'm not sure if we'll get the go-ahead from the Director on this; until we do, we stay away from Intelligence. In the meantime, Kouno, I want you to run down the EPR angle. Work with Ootsuka and see if you can connect FI-426 or OS-889 to any other stars suspected to be with that organization."

She shuffled the stack of folders in front of her. "What else is on the docket for this week?"

It felt good to be working again. Even though she'd only had two days off, it may as well have been a lifetime. She'd gotten home from Kanami's around lunchtime the day before, and had still felt so physically and emotionally drained that she'd spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. But moping never helped anything; work was what she needed.

The morning passed by quickly. Contractor-related incidents had been steadily increasing over the past couple of weeks, and a new report from Astronomics detailed an unusual upswing in sunspot activity. Misaki made a mental note to ask for Kanami's personal impressions later; the report was almost too dry for her to follow.

A little before noon, Misaki ended her discussion with Ootsuka and Kouno early. "I need to get to my lunch appointment," she told them.

"When will you be back?" Ootsuka asked, elbow-deep in reports, a slight edge of panic to her voice.

Misaki stuffed a couple of files into her purse. "Probably in an hour; I had planned on going to the doctor's this afternoon but there's just too much work to do. I'll head straight back here after lunch."

Ootsuka's expression changed from one of high anxiety to a hesitant curiosity. "The doctor?"

Misaki tapped her brace. "I ought to get this x-rayed. But it can wait." Her arm felt more bruised than broken, and she wanted to skip the hospital visit altogether; but she'd promised Kanami that she would get it looked at. Eventually.

"Saitou, come with me to the parking garage; you can update me while we walk."

A look of confusion crossed the detective's face, but he caught on a moment later. They didn't speak until they were out of the building. Once they had stepped off the elevator, he said quietly, "Your theory on Tsukuda still seems pretty thin; did that information come from _him_?"

Misaki nodded. "Hei told me that a member of the Syndicate's hierarchy was going to be targeted that night, but he didn't know who it was - or I would have had a better shot at preventing the attack."

"This organization had someone in Intelligence?" Saitou asked in a worried tone. "Well, they've lost him, now. Hopefully that will hurt them some."

"I'm not holding my breath on that one." At Saitou's puzzled expression, she continued, "Despite having considerable access to the police, security was awfully thin Saturday night - only two uniformed officers. I think it was more for show than anything. And Hei's orders weren't to prevent the attack, but rather to capture the assassin."

The whole thing had felt off, though it hadn't been until she'd woken up from her rest and spent some time thinking objectively about the events of the evening that she'd been able to figure out why.

"If I had to guess, I would say that the Syndicate hung Tsukuda out to dry," she finished.

"You mean they used him as bait, in order to capture one of EPR's people?"

"Yes. For whatever reason, Tsukuda was worth the trade to them. We'll probably never find out the reason; not unless we can get our hands on his files."

"Should we take this to the Director?" Saitou asked. "He would have the best chance of getting us access to Tsukuda's office."

Misaki shook her head. "Not yet." When she'd told Hourai about what had happened, he'd given her the brush off; he didn't even want her staying long enough to speak with her own team. And she'd seen him speaking with Tsukuda earlier in the evening. It could be nothing. But it didn't feel right. "I still want to keep this as quiet as possible."

Saitou frowned, but he didn't say anything.

"Did you turn up anything on the amnesia cases?" Misaki asked.

"Maybe. One of the patients," the detective pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket and flipped through a couple of pages, "a Kanda Mashiro, is a janitor in the same building that houses the Public Security Intelligence Bureau."

Misaki's pulse picked up. "Now that's interesting," she said. "See what else you can dig up on him. But remember - under the radar."

They had reached Misaki's car; as she pulled her keys from her purse, the brace caught on her purse strap and she fumbled them. The keys hit the concrete with a metallic splash; Saitou stooped to pick them up.

"Thanks," she said as he handed them back to her.

Saitou looked increasingly unhappy. "You should have had back up at the party," he said.

"I did have back up," Misaki told him quietly, but firmly. "I would have been killed if Hei hadn't acted when he did."

Maybe it was a little hypocritical to be defending Hei's actions when those same actions had upset her so much; and still upset her, every time she let herself dwell on that night. But that didn't change the facts.

Saitou sighed, then nodded. Misaki climbed into her car and headed off to her meeting with Kaede.

~~~~o~~~~

The restaurant that Kaede had chosen for lunch was a ritzy seafood place in the heart of Shinjuku. Parking was impossible to find; Misaki ended up having use a valet, which did not put her in the best of moods.

Kaede was already there, ensconced in a little booth in the back of the dimly-lit restaurant. The suit he wore was almost as expensive as the one he'd had worn to the party.

"Misaki!" he said upon seeing her. "I was half-sure that you were going to cancel on me."

She slid into the booth opposite him. The table was on the small side, placing her knees uncomfortably close to his. "Well, I did consider postponing, since I don't actually have your jacket to return to you. But my schedule is pretty swamped this week; this was the only opening I had."

His eyebrows rose in surprise, the creases in his forehead doing nothing to mar his handsome features. Kaede had always been good-looking - and unfortunately he knew it. "You don't have my jacket?"

In answer, Misaki handed him a dry cleaner's ticket and some cash. He took the ticket, but pressed the cash back on her. "I was doing you a favor, lending it to you," he smiled. "I'm not going to let you pay for it."

Misaki sighed, but didn't press the issue. "I hope you're paying for lunch too," she told him in irritation, glancing over the single-page menu. No prices were listed on any of the items; that was a bad sign. "This place isn't exactly in my pay grade."

Kaede waved a hand. "Don't worry, I'll get it. I didn't ask you here just to get my jacket back, so I couldn't choose a typical business lunch venue."

Looking around the restaurant, Misaki realized that each table was occupied by a couple, and most of the conversations appeared too intimate to be strictly business. There were entirely too many flowers and candles in the place.

"Kaede!" she exclaimed, slouching down in the booth.

He laughed. "Don't worry, no one will recognize you here; no need for your imaginary boyfriend to get jealous."

"What did you want to see me about?" Misaki asked, her tone growing frostier by the minute.

His expression turned serious at last, and he lowered his voice. "I wanted to speak with you about my superior, Tsukuda Jiro. Saturday night, you told me that you thought that his collapse was due to a contractor attack."

Misaki hesitated. How far could she trust Nakahara Kaede? He'd been basically a decent guy when she'd known him college. His mentor was most likely a member of the Syndicate; for all she knew, he was too. But if he wasn't, and he knew something… at this point, she would take any scrap of information that she could get.

"Unofficially," she said, "yes; I'm positive that it was. But like I said the other night, it's going to be hard to prove anything. We don't have enough evidence to open an official investigation yet."

"But you're still going to investigate, right? Even if it's unofficial."

He knew her too well to doubt the answer to that question. She nodded.

A waiter appeared just then to take their orders. "The scallops on rice for me," Kaede said without glancing at the menu. "And the lady will have the fish and chips."

Misaki shot him a glare. "Excuse me," she told the waiter. "I'd prefer the seared tuna salad."

The waiter glanced between the two of them, then bowed and left to place their orders.

"Salad?" Kaede said, eyebrows raised. "You always go for the greasiest item on any menu."

"I feel like a salad today," Misaki said. She would have ordered something else anyway, just on principle; she hated other people trying to make her choices for her. But even after taking several antacids that morning, the thought of eating anything greasy turned her stomach.

Kaede shook his head, then glanced out of the booth to be sure that the waiter had gone. "Do you have any idea who targeted Tsukuda, or why?"

"I have an idea about the who. Still working on the why."

Kaede waited; when Misaki didn't elaborate, he said, his voice low, "Have you heard of an organization called the Syndicate?"

Misaki narrowed her eyes. "I've heard rumors," she said tersely.

"Then you've heard that they're an international organization," Kaede said. "The power behind the power, so to speak. They have people everywhere, in every government, every police force. They employ the most elite contractors; they control the Gate."

"Conspiracy theories? Really?" Misaki frowned. She'd thought that Kaede had something concrete for her; this was turning out to be a complete waste of time.

But Kaede leaned forward. "That's what I thought too, at first. Intelligence is full of those kinds of rumors; no one takes them seriously. Occasionally a case or a report would cross my desk that made me think twice, but I always dismissed it."

"Something changed your mind?" Misaki asked, taking a sip of ice water.

He nodded. "About a month ago, I was in the office, late. I had a deadline to meet and was going to work through the night, but I needed a break. So I turned off the lights to sleep at my desk for a few minutes. I woke up when I heard voices coming from Mr. Tsukuda's office next door - Mr. Tsukuda and someone I didn't recognize. The stranger was agitated about something; he kept asking for the truth about South America."

"South America?" Misaki broke in. "What does that have to with the Syndicate?"

Kaede shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Mr. Tsukuda said that what happened at Heaven's Gate was the work of a rogue group; the stranger said that that wasn't what he'd heard. He'd heard that it had been the Syndicate's plan all along, and they were doing it again in Tokyo."

A chill ran through Misaki's blood. A disaster at Hell's Gate had been in the back of _every_ one's minds, after Brazil had been nearly wiped off the map. "He mentioned the Syndicate specifically?" she asked.

The waiter appeared with their food, cutting off the conversation. Misaki waited impatiently for the man to set her plate in front of her, and dug in as soon as he left. She was suddenly starving.

Kaede watched the retreating figure until the waiter was clearly out of earshot. "Yes. I expected Mr. Tsukuda to scoff at the idea of the existence of such a group, but instead he took it seriously. I can't recall the words exactly, but he said that to his knowledge, the attack on Heaven's Gate had been aimed at the Syndicate; they had nothing to do with the resulting disaster. But he sounded worried, and he told the stranger to report to him everything that he heard regarding a similar event happening in Tokyo."

" _Attack_ on the Gate?" Misaki said around a piece of lettuce. She'd never heard that angle before; as far as she knew, the disaster had been an accident, an anomalous event that was as yet unexplained. If the Syndicate was indeed involved, did Hei know anything about it? She made a mental note to ask him, then remembered their argument. He hadn't stopped by her place last night, even though she'd hung up her scarf; she wasn't entirely sure what that meant. And she still didn't know what she wanted to say to him. "Do you have any idea who this person was?"

"I know he was a contractor," Kaede said, his face darkening as he picked at his food.

"How?"

"During the conversation, I'd moved closer to the door so that I could hear better; I was shifting position and I accidentally kicked a trashcan. The sound startled them; someone came out of the office. I tried to hide in the shadows, but if anyone opened my door they would see me. Fortunately, a janitor happened to enter the hallway right then. The stranger - the contractor - assumed that he was the one who'd been listening, and used his power on the man. There's a window in my office wall; I saw it."

" _Fortunately_ , huh?" Misaki said. Kaede at least had the grace to look ashamed. "What happened to the janitor?"

"Not dead," Kaede assured her hurriedly. "Mr. Tsukuda was worried about that too. The contractor told him that he'd just wiped his memory, so he wouldn't remember the conversation. Mr. Tsukuda told the contractor that under no circumstances was he to come to the office again, that it was too risky." He hesitated, then said, "I've heard that BK-201 can do that. Wipe people's memories."

"What is the janitor's name?"

"How should I know?"

"Can you describe the contractor?" she pressed.

"I didn't get a good look," Kaede said. "But he had an accent. Korean, I think."

"Hm," she muttered, rubbing her temple in frustration. Hui had been meeting with Tsukuda. The intel about Hui's attack on her apartment had come through Tsukuda…and from him through Hourai. Did that mean that the Director was part of the Syndicate too? Or was he simply being used as a conduit?

"Does that line up with what you know so far?" Kaede asked. "It was the Syndicate that ordered the attack on Mr. Tsukuda, wasn't it."

Misaki frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. She poked idly at her salad. "Not necessarily. From what you've told me, it sounds like Tsukuda is _part_ of the Syndicate. Why would they want him killed, then?"

Kaede hesitated again, for so long that Misaki thought he wasn't going to say anything at all. At last he said, "There's more that I haven't told you. This past Friday night, I stopped by Mr. Tsukuda's office to see if he had any more work for me before I left. He invited me in for a drink; I could tell that he'd already had several, which was very unusual for him. When I sat down, he started talking."

"What did he say?"

"Rambling, mostly. I'm not even sure he remembered that I was there half the time." Kaede sighed, grief and regret clear on his face. "He said that he'd done a lot in his life that he wasn't proud of, but he'd done it for good reasons. To protect people, to protect our way of life. But 'they' had gone too far this time, and he was tired of all the death."

"They?" Misaki interrupted.

Kaede shook his head. "He never said who he meant, exactly - and I didn't want to interrupt in case it made him stop talking altogether. But my guess is that he was referring to the Syndicate."

She nodded her agreement, and Kaede continued. "He said that nothing he did would make his actions right, but he had to try anyway. Even if they killed him for it."

So, Tsukuda had been planning on turning against the Syndicate; maybe had somehow done so already. EPR had attempted to assassinate him for being an important member, and the Syndicate had let him die, knowing him to be a traitor. That certainly added up.

"Did he say what he was going to do?" she asked.

"No. All he said was that no one could be trusted except for the enemy. I suppose if the Syndicate really has infiltrated the police and all other branches of the government, then he was right."

Misaki quirked an eyebrow. "I'm with the police. What makes you so sure that I'm not part of the Syndicate as well?"

"Come on, Misaki," Kaede said with a smile. "People change, but they don't change _that_ much. Salads notwithstanding."

She couldn't help but snort a laugh at that. Kaede could be playing her, but she didn't think so. His grief at his mentor's loss was too genuine, and there was no reason that she could see for him telling her any of this. The information that he'd given her wasn't much, but it was still useful.

"So?" he asked. "What do you think?"

Just because he was telling her the truth, didn't make him completely trustworthy. "I think you're right about the Syndicate targeting Tsukuda. But there's nothing we can do about it at this point." She softened the edge on her voice. "I'm sorry that it happened. That I couldn't stop it."

Kaede lowered his eyes. "It wasn't your fault." Then he reached into an inner pocket in his suit jacket and pulled out a slip of paper about the size of a folded napkin. "I went back to his office yesterday morning; someone had already been there and gone through his files. They covered their tracks pretty well, but I could tell where things had been moved. I searched through everything, but I couldn't find anything relating to the Syndicate. Either he hadn't kept anything written down, or someone else had already taken it."

He handed the piece of paper to Misaki. "I found this rolled up inside an empty sake bottle. I have no idea what it means; but that contractor had a Korean accent. It might be related somehow."

Misaki unfolded the paper, and her eyes widened. It was a seven-by-seven grid of Korean characters, each one matched to a hiragana character. Her mind raced. If Tsukuda had been Hui's handler, and Hui was investigating the Syndicate for him, Hui would record those notes in a Korean cipher, lest the Syndicate find them. Tsukuda would need a way to translate the code to Japanese.

"Does that help?" Kaede asked, watching her face carefully.

"It might," she said, and tucked the priceless square of paper into her purse. "Tell you what - lunch is on me today."


	8. Chapter 8

When Misaki arrived home that night, the first thing she did was hang up her scarf. The second thing that she did was pull out a photo album from its place in her bookcase. Instead of photos, the plastic sleeves held folded pieces of paper: the pages that Hei had translated from Hui's notebook. The moleskin notebook was also on the bookcase, tucked inside a binder of old case files. Since Hei had transcribed the coded portions of the notebook exactly, she could have gone straight to the source. But it was safer to use copies rather than the notebook itself. And it made her smile to see the Black Reaper's handwriting, crabbed and sloppy like the student that he pretended to be.

She'd made a photocopy of the cipher grid that she'd gotten from Kaede; after placing the original in the photo album, she took the copy and the pages that contained seemingly random strings of numbers to the coffee table and settled down on the floor to work.

The coded passages were written in series of two-digit numbers. That meaning, so frustrating before, was now obvious: one of the digits referred to a column on the grid, and the other digit referred to a row. But she didn't know how the numbers were assigned to the columns and rows - was it random, or was there an order? Earlier, she'd noticed a distinct lack of zeros, eights, or nines in the numerical passages - that also only now made sense. She began by numbering the rows and columns in order, from one to seven, and basing her translation off of that.

But that first attempt resulted in a string of nonsense syllables. She tried swapping the rows for the columns, and got more nonsense. Misaki rubbed her temple in irritation. If there was another layer to the code, she was going to murder Hui. At this point it might be easier to just track him down, arrest him, and force the information out of him. But Kanami had been keeping an eye on his star, which hadn't registered any activity since the night he'd broken into Misaki's apartment. There was no way to find him. Cracking the code was still her best bet.

Misaki worked all through the evening until her eyes were red with fatigue, but the only progress she made was identifying a set of numbers that had to be an address rather than a word. However, she wasn't able to put the name of a street or prefecture to that address, so it was still useless.

And Hei hadn't appeared. Disappointed and exhausted, she went to bed.

The next morning, the star activity report from Astronomics detailed activity from BK-201. The location couldn't be narrowed down precisely, as it was on the very edge of the doll network's range, outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Matsumoto pulled up a map of the region; the only thing of note was an off-the-grid compound belonging to the religious group the Friends of the Gate.

"I've heard of these people," Matsumoto said. "They've built up quite a following over the years. Though why anyone would want to worship Hell's Gate is beyond me."

Misaki nodded. "Organized Crime has looked into rumors concerning them a couple of times - coercion, extortion, that sort of thing - but nothing ever sticks. They seem to be clean."

"Can't be too clean if the Black Reaper is interested in them," Kouno put in.

"Only one other star was active in the vicinity," Ootsuka said, looking over her reports. "WB-882. And no stars fell."

Misaki frowned. "Technically, they're out of our jurisdiction. But let's keep an eye on them for a while."

She was a little relieved. If Hei had a job relating to the religious order, then that would explain why she hadn't seen him for two nights; it would take time to infiltrate a close-knit group like that. He wasn't just avoiding her. Maybe. But that other star had also shown activity before - that night at the shrine, when she'd followed BK-201 to a meeting with the leader of EPR. Amber. What exactly was Hei doing?

During her lunch break on Tuesday, Misaki stopped by the library to check out a Korean-Japanese dictionary, in case there was some aspect to the language that she was missing that would turn out to be the key to the code. There were two copies; in one of them, some of the page corners had creases where they had been dog-eared. Misaki chose that one to check out. It was the one that Hei had stolen (and returned) the previous week. She'd been furious when she'd seen him folding the pages; he'd straightened them all out again in good humor, though she didn't think that he actually understood why it had been a terrible thing to do in the first place.

She wandered around the entire library before she checked out the book, but there was no sign of Hei. Well, it had been a long shot. And if she _had_ run into him, they couldn't exactly talk there. At best, she could have told him to stop by that evening; even though she still didn't know what she wanted to say.

When she got home that night, Misaki returned to attempting to crack the code. As with the previous night, however, she hit a wall, and nothing that she tried made any sense. And once again, Hei didn't appear.

It wasn't until Wednesday evening that she had her breakthrough.

She'd been leafing through the Korean-Japanese dictionary when she came upon a dog-eared page that hadn't been straightened. Exasperated, she unfolded the corner - and noticed that the page number had been circled and scribbled out. It was page 201.

When her irritation at the destruction of library property had subsided, she wondered _why_ he had done it. There didn't seem to be any purpose to it, or any anger behind the action; it was the sort of idle doodle that a bored student might make in their textbook, as if he wasn't really thinking about it on the conscious level. He'd scratched out his contractor identity and then hidden it behind the fold of the paper.

Messier codes were essentially meaningless. Early on, researchers and military alike had tried to come up with a classification system for the false stars, but in the end everyone had finally settled on a basic, randomly-generated alpha-numeric combination. And yet, she had noticed that certain contractors tended to form odd attachments to their own codes. Once, she'd arrested a woman whose payment was to open and close a door one hundred and twenty-four times. When Misaki had asked her why that specific number, the contractor had told her that the exact number didn't matter; it was simply what she'd chosen. Her Messier code was OC-124.

Hei lived in apartment 201. She'd thought it was mere coincidence at first, but…was it? Did he naturally gravitate towards iterations of that number, as part of his sense of self?

She studied the photocopy of the cipher. In the very bottom corner the number 302 was printed. The number from Hui's Messier code. What if Hui was the same way? Could it be that simple?

It was a crazy thought; but she was all out of ideas. Misaki pulled out a fresh piece of paper and rewrote the cipher; except she shifted all of the characters over three columns, and down two. She translated the first coded passage - still gibberish. Unwilling to give up, she rewrote the code a second time, this time shifting it over two and down three. Still nothing. _What if_ …

Next, she kept the cipher intact for the Korean characters, but shifted the paired hiragana over three, down two. She wrote out the new translation: _End of contractors_.

"Yes!" she shouted into her empty apartment, pumping her fist in the air. Her enthusiasm was dampened slightly by the fact that there was no one to share her triumph with; but only slightly. Eagerly, she decoded and translated the rest of the numerical passages.

After a couple of hours of intense work, what she ended up with was almost as meaningless as the gibberish that it had been in the beginning. The coded passages were fragments of sentences, disconnected thoughts, abstract without any sort of context. _Return to humanity_. _In a steel grip. Evening blooms._ The notes were obviously reminders meant to jolt the memory, not replace it. Interpretation would not be easy.

But she refused to let herself get frustrated; she was one step further than she had been before. And if _evening blooms_ referred to _evening primrose_ , it was vital that she understand. Unable to stifle a wide yawn, Misaki glanced at the clock; it was midnight. Time to call it a night. She changed into a loose cotton t-shirt, stripped off her slacks, and brushed her teeth, casting Hei's toothbrush a wistful gaze. Then she crawled into bed.

~~~~o~~~~

It was the dead of night when something woke Misaki. She lay with her eyes closed for a long time, still half-asleep and half sure that she'd imagined whatever it was that had woken her. Then she picked out the sound of quiet breathing above the background of nighttime city noises.

"Hei?" she murmured into the dark bedroom.

His voice was close by when he answered. "I'm here."

Misaki reached up and turned on the reading lamp above her bed, then fumbled on the bedside table for her glasses. When she put them on, she saw Hei sitting on the floor against her side of the bed. He was blinking blearily at the brightness of the light.

"What are you doing?" she asked, somewhat stupidly.

He shrugged minutely and glanced up at her, the soft lamplight casting dark circles under his eyes. "Is it alright that I'm here?"

"Of course." She lay back down and folded the pillow beneath her head, studying him. Despite looking as if he'd just woken up from a doze, the hunch in his shoulders spoke of exhaustion, and his face was pale and drawn. He was in his street clothes, which was unusual; typically when he arrived this late it was because he'd been on a job, and so he'd be in his Black Reaper gear.

In fact, there was very little of the Black Reaper in him tonight. There was very little of _Hei_ \- looking at him right now, she could more easily than ever see Li Tian, the young man who'd given up his humanity in order to protect his sister. And at that thought, all of the irritation that she felt at him finally showing up when she was too tired to have a serious conversation drained away.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He closed his eyes. "I saw a contractor die this morning."

That was probably either AL-908, which had fallen a couple of hours before dawn, or KS-184, which had fallen just after sunrise. Misaki had seen the reports, and recognized the latter Messier code as belonging to the contractor who had been involved in the death of Huang's former partner on the police force.

"Did you kill him?"

If he was insulted by the question, he didn't show it. "No. She killed herself."

For a moment Misaki thought that she must still be asleep. "What? Are you sure?"

"She ran in front of truck. Intentionally."

"But…why?" She'd never heard of a contractor sacrificing themselves. The whole idea ran contrary to the very definition of what a contractor was.

When Hei answered, there was a mixture of wonder and bitterness in his voice. "She did it to protect the man she loved."

Misaki didn't know what to say to that. Part of her wanted to declare that he must be mistaken: contractors didn't feel love, and if they did, it wasn't deep enough to overcome their instinct for self-preservation.

And part of her couldn't help but place Hei in that position. Would he die for her? Possibly, she thought. Maybe even probably. But would he betray the Syndicate for her? No - apparently that was too much to ask.

What she didn't understand was why it seemed to have affected Hei so much.

She reached out and touched his cheek. He grasped her hand; his fingers brushed the edge of her arm brace and he suddenly stilled. Carefully holding her hand steady, he turned his head to look at her arm, then shifted his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were filled with regret.

"From when I fell in the street. It doesn't hurt much," she told him. "Probably isn't even fractured." She hadn't had time yet to visit the doctor, but the pain wasn't getting any worse, so she was in no hurry.

"I'm sorry," Hei said quietly, then pressed his lips to the back of her fingers.

"Injury is a risk that comes with the job," Misaki told him, though she suspected that he wasn't referring to her fall. "Anyway, it was my own damn fault for wearing a dress with such a long skirt; I'd been tripping on the stupid thing all evening."

"You looked amazing."

Her cheeks heated at the simple compliment. "Thanks. I had to throw it away though - I couldn't get the blood out."

A heavy silence fell at her words. Hei let go of her hand, and Misaki rested it on the pillow beside her cheek.

They'd gotten to this subject much more quickly than Misaki had been expecting. Definitely more quickly than she'd wanted. Though at this point, there was no use delaying the inevitable.

"Hei, I don't think…" she began, then faltered. Why was it so difficult for her to say what she needed to say? She shifted onto her back so that she was staring at the ceiling rather than him, and took a deep breath. "I can't…I've tried so hard to make this work, but I just can't. Not anymore."

The last words came out in a whisper; at least she'd managed to hold back the tears.

"I know," Hei told her just as quietly, his eyes downcast. "I'm not going to ask that of you."

Disappointment welled in her heart. It hurt, but maybe it was easier this way. Simpler. She didn't know what to say to him after that; but she was spared from answering when he reached to the small of his back and pulled out a folded manila envelope that had been tucked into his waistband beneath his shirt. After a slight hesitation, he handed the envelope up to Misaki.

She sat up, the bed sheet falling to her waist, and opened the envelope apprehensively. There were photos inside. Her breath caught when she pulled them out.

"These…oh my god." Her career was over. Her life most likely was over. The compromising images filled her entire field of vision; distantly, she noted that the hands holding them remained steady despite her pounding heart.

"I think your theory about the assassination attempt was right," Hei was saying. "It was meant to scare you off from trusting me; the Syndicate must have set someone to keep an eye on us Saturday night to be sure that we weren't cooperating any longer."

"Well, we weren't cooperating that night," Misaki said dully.

"No," Hei agreed. "Which means that they probably have no idea about our relationship."

Misaki looked over at him sharply. "What?"

"I've been thinking it over for days," he said, resting his elbows on his knees in that way he had whenever something was weighing heavily on his mind. "All they know is that I gave you an item at the dockyard in exchange for my freedom, and that instead of killing you Saturday night when you got in the way, I kissed you. If you'd been given these photos, and it was some other contractor and some other police woman, what would you think?"

She began to protest that the question was ridiculous - clearly the two people in the pictures were having a love affair of some sort - but then she paused. That conclusion depended heavily on her personal knowledge of the situation. She twisted her mass of hair into a loose ponytail over her shoulder. Objectively…

"Contractors don't have romantic relationships," she said slowly. "Everything they do is out of rational self-interest. He's playing her; either on orders from his organization, or as a side line of his own. If she knows that he's a contractor, then she's an idiot for falling for it, so he'd have to be convincing. But that scenario is much more likely than the truth."

Hei nodded, looking relieved. "That's what I thought too."

"So, what does it mean? How many people know about this?"

"As far as I know, just the man who took the pictures. He gave me a warning: to be sure I know whose side I'm on. Nothing about staying away from you. He's been watching my whole team; but he's not interfering. Not as long as we do our job."

"That sounds like he's simply worried that you're passing off information or double crossing the Syndicate," Misaki mused. "But if that's the case," she added, tossing the photos down to the floor beside him with a sad flop, "it still doesn't change anything between us."

Hei sat silently for a long moment, making no move to collect the photos. Then he said quietly, "I see three options. First, we go back to our very first deal. Forget all this has happened; we don't see each other again unless I'm wearing the mask and you're chasing after me. The Syndicate will have no reason to get involved further."

That was what she had been prepared to propose when he finally showed up at her door; it was beyond painful to even consider, but what other choice was there?

"Second," Hei continued, his gaze focused on the floor between his feet, "I run. Disappear. I'd probably be fine on my own; eventually they would give up looking for me."

"You'd do that?" Misaki interrupted in disbelief. "Why?"

"It's the best way to keep you in the clear," he answered simply. "I might try to take Yin with me; or take her to your friend, if you think that she'd be protected there. I can't leave her to them."

If what he'd told her about the Syndicate before was correct, he'd have to run for years before they gave up. Such a life would be hard, and miserable, and lonely. And he was still concerned about Yin; of course he was. If he'd been the type to abandon someone who depended on him, Misaki would never have fallen for him. And that only made that choice even harder to consider than the first.

"What's the third option?" she asked.

Hei inhaled deeply, still not looking at her. "We compromise. I keep following my missions and play by the rules; the Syndicate will be keeping a close eye on us, so I can't let them suspect anything more than they already do. But I pass you all the information that I can, and I help you expose them."

Misaki stared at him, speechless. That was the last thing that she'd expected him to say; he'd been so stubbornly refusing to act against his employers for so long.

"Why now?"

"I'm tired," he said. His eyes were barely open, but she didn't think that it was physical fatigue that he was feeling. "I'm tired of being the Syndicate's puppet."

"Do you mean it?" she asked quietly.

When Hei met her eyes, his dark gaze was sincere. "Yes."

"You'll tell me everything about your jobs?"

He hesitated. "I won't do anything to put my team at risk, and I can't move against them overtly. If I do, I'm dead. You can't either; it'll be too obvious that you got the information from me. But yes, I'll tell you."

She thought about that. Knowing what he was being ordered to do and not being able to step in and prevent it might be worse than ignorance; but she had to plan for the long term. Arresting individual contractors and interfering with an operation or two on the ground wouldn't get her anywhere. _Hadn't_ gotten her anywhere. It was the leaders of the Syndicate that she wanted, and to get them, she needed information. And time.

More time. More time spent keeping secrets; more time turning a blind eye to his actions. It wasn't until a sharp pain ran up her injured arm that she realized that she'd been gripping her hair so tightly that her knuckles were white. She forced herself to let go and let her hand rest lightly on the mattress next to her hip.

"You should take some time to think about it," Hei continued. "As much as you need. Hang up the signal when you've made your decision."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "You want _me_ to make the choice?"

"The risk is more or less the same for me, no matter what. I don't want to force you into anything that you're not comfortable with."

"But, what do _you_ want?"

He reached up and laid his hand over hers, rough, calloused fingers stroking her knuckles. "You."

Her heart just about burst, and it was a struggle to not immediately agree to the third option. She couldn't afford to jump ahead so recklessly; neither could Hei.

"I know it's a lot to ask," he said, as if reading her mind. "Maybe too much. But, will you think about it?"

It was certainly the most dangerous path for them both, but…it was the only way she could see that they could stay together. And the best way of taking down this shadowy organization that had wormed its way into her police.

Yet it was a huge compromise. If he continued with his missions as before, he'd still be killing, then coming home to her with blood on his hands - figuratively and literally. Could she really live with that? Short term; maybe.

"I was finally able to translate that code in Hui's book," she said, hugging her bare knees to her chest and letting the bed sheet slide to her ankles. "The time and place of his next meeting with his Syndicate contact - Tsukuda, the man who was attacked at the party - was written there. I'm going to go and have a talk with him; I've asked Saitou along as back-up. Will you come too?"

His brow furrowed briefly at the mention of Saitou's name. "We'll have to be especially careful. I can't let anyone from the Syndicate see me, or even suspect that I'm there."

Misaki exhaled slowly. He hadn't tried to talk her out of it, or made excuses for himself. She really couldn't ask for more at this point. "Okay. It's not until Friday night; we have some time to work out the details."

"So…is that your answer?" Hei asked, slightly puzzled.

The third option would be the hardest one to follow. It was probably the stupidest. The safest thing for them both to do was just walk away.

"Yes. If you can really do what you're promising you can, then yes. That's my answer."

He exhaled in relief and leaned his head back against the mattress, eyes closed. Misaki laid her head on her knees and ran her fingers gently through his hair.

"You know," she said, "there's a lot more Li Tian in you than even I had thought."

"That isn't my name," he said, but there was only a trace of bitterness there.

"No. But it's you."

They sat in silence, her hand still resting on his head.

Eventually, Hei said, "I'll leave tonight, if you want. So you can have some space."

Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks. She didn't know if she was relieved, terrified, happy, or just exhausted.

"I want you to stay."


	9. Chapter 9

"You sure you don't want any, Chief?"

Misaki tried not to grimace at the proffered McDoness bag. It wasn't Saitou's fault that her stomach couldn't handle anything greasy at the moment; the scent of the oily fries alone was enough to make her feel ill. "No, thanks."

Saitou took the bag back with a shrug. "It's good stakeout food," he said around a mouthful of burger. "Keeps the energy levels up."

Misaki snorted. "It's _terrible_ stakeout food - the salt dehydrates you and the sugar makes you crash. It's junk." Though she could definitely use some energy right now; she'd finished her coffee half an hour ago. "What we really need is protein."

"Protein? Like what?"

"Like meat buns. And milk." Her stomach gave a little rumble at the idea, and she suddenly regretted skipping dinner. Meat buns and milk would be perfect right now.

Saitou paused mid-chew. "Huh," he said. "That actually sounds good."

Misaki smiled, and returned to scanning the area through the passenger window. They'd brought Saitou's car tonight, as it would stand out much less here in the warehouse district than her own; but they had parked a block away and out of sight of the particular building that they wanted. Even though it made sense to do so, she disliked being so blind. Being surrounded by large, boxy warehouses didn't help.

"Awfully quiet around here," Saitou observed, rolling up the empty fast food bag and tossing it into the back seat. "Are you sure the rendezvous is tonight?"

"I'm sure that I translated the code correctly." She sighed and propped her elbow on the car door, resting her head on her hand. The pressure sent only the tiniest twinge of pain through her injured arm, which was a good sign. The brace made handling her gun a bit awkward, so she'd opted to leave it off during this mission. "It's possible that Hui knows that his handler is permanently out the game, and so he won't show. It's also possible that the Syndicate knows about this appointment too and will send a replacement to make contact with their operative. We won't know until we find out."

Misaki was pretty sure that the organization _didn't_ know, since the time and place of the meeting had been encoded in the cipher that Hui used with Tsukuda; but she was also pretty sure that underestimating them would be a dangerous mistake. It was best to be prepared for anything. "Anyway, we've still got some time; the meeting was set for midnight, and it's not even half past eleven now."

"He's late," Saitou commented, in a tone that Misaki was sure was meant to sound off-handed. She was also sure that he wasn't referring to Hui.

She glanced at the clock on the dash again. "I told him _around_ eleven. He probably wanted to do some reconnaissance before meeting up with us." He was most likely making sure that the man who had taken those photographs hadn't followed him.

Her subordinate's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "We can handle this on our own - there's no reason for him to be here."

Misaki suppressed a sigh. Hei would probably always be nothing but a contractor in Saitou's eyes. But she couldn't really blame Saitou for that. Years of experience had taught all of the members of Section Four that it didn't matter who the individual in question was: contractors couldn't be trusted. Maybe it had been a mistake to ask both of them along tonight. "He's here because it doesn't hurt to have backup," she said firmly.

Saitou grunted in response, then fell silent. He gazed alternately forward through the windshield, out the driver's side window, and checking his mirrors. Misaki returned to her own surveillance as well. The neighborhood was mostly deserted at this time of night; they hadn't seen any pedestrians or locals, and only one car had driven by. It had been leaving the area and hadn't seemed to take any particular notice of Saitou's old Toyota parked in a lightless section of street. As the night slowly wore on, no one else appeared.

Then a movement in the side mirror caught her eye: a dark shadowy shape swept up beside the car. A moment later there was faint, crackling _pop_ sound and the electronic lock on the rear door behind her disengaged. Saitou visibly jumped, his hands clutching the steering wheel compulsively.

A maskless Black Reaper slid into the back seat silently, shutting the door almost as silently behind him.

"Great, now _both_ the rear door locks are broken," Saitou muttered.

"I just triggered the locking mechanism," Hei said flatly. "It's not broken."

The detective eyed him in the rearview mirror. "You couldn't have done that with the other door?"

"What other door?"

"The one you broke in order to kill our suspect in cold blood three months ago," Saitou told him with a glower. "The shop wanted forty-thousand yen to fix it."

In the shadows of the backseat, Hei hunched his shoulders a little and looked away. "I could have broken the window instead."

"God, this is worse than having children," Misaki muttered, rubbing her temple in exasperation. What on earth had possessed her to think that this team would be a good idea. She turned to face Hei. "Did you have a chance to scout around the warehouse?"

His nod was barely detectable in the darkness. "It's empty. No sign of specters or any kind of surveillance."

"How do we get in?" Saitou asked, still using the mirror to keep eyes on the Black Reaper.

"Loading bays are chained shut," Hei said. "Front office door has a keypad entry. The door on the side of the building has a deadbolt. There's also an access door on the roof; the stairwell opens onto a second-floor catwalk."

"One door for each of us," Misaki mused. "But if they're all locked that won't be much use. I'm not even sure I got the address right." It had been a phonetic translation, and she'd had to guess at the correct spelling of the street name.

"It's right," Hei said simply.

Misaki frowned. "How do you know? You said the place was empty."

"The Syndicate owns it - or at least they own the person who owns it. I've been there before. "

"On what job?" Misaki asked, more to see if he would answer honestly than out of any need to know. He'd said that he would tell her everything about his assignments, but she wasn't entirely sure that he would be able to follow through. Secrecy was a hard habit to break.

To her surprise, he did answer. "We lured KV-464 there to capture him."

"Oh." She'd been present, so to speak, for that mission. Only three short months ago, she still hadn't known whose face was hidden behind BK-201's mask. She never would have expected that finding out would eventually lead her here…

"Hang on," Saitou said. "This is the Syndicate's place? Is it safe to do an interrogation here?"

Misaki's brow furrowed. "Damn. Good point. But it's not like we can just take him down to the station. Hei, what do you think?"

Hei sat in silence for a long moment, considering. Then he said, "The Syndicate can't have their eye on everything all the time; unless they have a reason to be watching this place, they won't be. And if they are - either we'll catch them, or they'll catch us. Taking the target out into the open street would increase the risk."

The cool, analytical tone that was the Black Reaper's never failed to catch Misaki off guard, so used was she to the subtle warmth of Hei's natural voice. _This_ was the voice of the assassin who weighed lives in terms of their usefulness or threat, and cut the throats of those who tilted the scales too far.

Saitou was gripping the steering wheel a bit too tightly. Hei seemed to be tightly wound as well; though his posture appeared relaxed enough, there was a tension hovering about him that reminded her of a tightly-coiled spring. He kept casting unreadable glances towards the detective in the driver's seat. Misaki wondered if he was like this on all of his missions, or if it was just this particular one. In any case, it made her instinctively nervous to have him behind her in the dark like that. She tried and failed to suppress a shiver, once again questioning the wisdom of bringing him along tonight.

"Alright," Misaki said. "We do the interview here; if it turns out there _is_ someone watching…we'll deal with it."

"If something happens, I have a place not far from here where we can rendezvous," Hei added.

Misaki frowned. The way he said it sounded as if he meant something different than a typical safe house. "What do you mean, you have a place?"

"I have a place. That I rent."

"Won't the Syndicate know about that too, and just follow us there?"

Hei shook his head. "I pay the rent with cash, under an alias that isn't one of theirs. They don't know about it."

Misaki stared at him until he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. What possible reason could he have for secretly renting another room? What did Hei, with his steadfast loyalty, want to hide from his employers? However curious she was, now wasn't the time to go into it.

"Alright," she said at last. "Where is it?"

Hei gave them the address - it was only a couple of blocks away - and continued, "The target will probably use the office door, if this is just a routine meeting."

"Agreed. I'll wait for the target to come through the front, then block his exit. Saitou, you cover the side entrance. Hei, you keep out of sight and step in if things get ugly - but only then. Remember to be careful how much you use your power."

"You're sure your friend can hide my star's signature?" he asked.

Misaki nodded. "But only up to a certain point. If your star is active for too long, or you do too much, Kanami won't be able to mask it." The Chief of Astronomics had not been enthusiastic about tampering with her own data on behalf of a contractor - but she'd quickly set aside any and all scruples at the prospect of helping Misaki uncover the moles in both of their departments.

Saitou, however, made a dissatisfied sound at her statement. "We should be using Astronomics to help track KN-302, not cover up for _other_ contractors."

"That isn't possible and you know why," Misaki told him testily. "I mean, it _would_ be nice to have a doll to help us out -"

"No," Hei interrupted. "It's too risky."

Misaki sighed inwardly and pressed he fingers to her temple. They'd already been through this argument; Hei didn't want his partner anywhere near this kind of traitorous activity, not with the Syndicate watching so closely. Which she completely understood. "I know; I wasn't asking you to bring in Yin. I was just agreeing with Saitou that some surveillance specters would be helpful."

"Yin?" Saitou asked.

"The doll on Hei's team."

Saitou nodded. "Definitely too risky. Those things aren't as reliable as they're made out to be."

"She isn't a _thing_ ," Hei said, his voice low and empty of emotion.

Misaki quickly stepped in before tempers could escalate. "We have our plan," she said firmly. "Now we just need to get set up before Hui shows. Come on."

The three of them quietly exited the car. Saitou pressed the automatic lock on the side of his door; all three locks reengaged. He looked askance at Hei, whose expression didn't change in the slightest. Misaki resisted the urge to roll her eyes and headed off down the street first, sticking closely to the shadows. The two men were silent as ghosts behind her. She checked that her jacket was unbuttoned and that her gun was within easy reach in its shoulder holster. Hui wasn't especially dangerous for contractor, but it was best not to take any risks; and she didn't want him getting anywhere near her with that amnesia power of his.

The neighborhood remained eerily deserted as they carefully made their way down the street. When she reached the end, Misaki peered cautiously around the corner of an empty office building towards the warehouse that was the rendezvous point. Dim light filtered through the grimy windows in the front of the warehouse, barely illuminating what must be the keypad on the office door. The side of the building was shrouded in shadow. She watched for a full three minutes, but nothing moved or otherwise looked suspicious.

"Hei," she whispered, and he was at her side the next instant. "Any specters?"

Ducking back around the corner, she let him take her place. Hei flattened himself against the wall of the building and cast his gaze along the ground, the walls, and the roofs of the warehouse and its neighboring structures. After a minute, he pulled his head back.

"Clear," he said.

"Right. Let's go."

They dashed across the street and into the thick darkness between the warehouse and the building next door. Misaki could barely see the side door at all, let alone the deadbolt, but Hei found it easily enough. She and Saitou covered both ends of the narrow passage between the two structures while Hei, nearly invisible in his black jacket, picked the lock. In a matter of seconds, they were inside.

The side door opened up into a shadowy sort of corridor beneath a metal catwalk; the nearly-empty floor of the warehouse stretched away in front of them, lit by the grayish light of what looked to be emergency back-up lighting. Broken crates, fallen pulleys, and general dust and debris littered the edges of the floor. Misaki spotted what looked like the remains of a squatter's camp in one corner: the dark smudge on the concrete was probably from the charcoal of a fire. The large reddish stain next to it suggested what happened to vagrants who were caught loitering in the places that were frequented by contractors. Her stomach twisted at that thought, and for a moment she thought she might be sick. But it passed.

She gestured to Saitou to remain by the door; when she turned to Hei, it was to find that he had already disappeared into the darkness. Slightly annoyed that he hadn't waited long enough to take any further orders - not that she had any, but this was _her_ mission, after all - Misaki carefully picked her way along the edge of the open space to the front office.

She took up a crouching position behind a wooden crate; from there she could see through the broken office windows into the small, bare reception area and the main door beyond. If Hei was right and Hui entered through this door, she wouldn't miss him. She drew her gun, checked it, and held it at the ready, angled down towards the ground. Now all they had to do was wait.

The minutes slowly ticked by. It felt so strange to be committing what basically amounted to a crime. Breaking and entering and collaborating with a wanted contractor, in order to illegally hold and interrogate another contractor; three months ago she wouldn't have even considered the idea. Even so, she felt nothing but the usual restless anticipation that came with stakeouts. She'd already done something like this once, to help out an innocent girl. And now, the risk was worth the potential gain. The makeup of her team was a bit unusual tonight, true - but she trusted them completely. As unnerving as it was to have the Black Reaper lurking hidden in the shadows, she knew that he had her safety at heart. Saitou always had her back. And their goal was straightforward: confront Hui, take him into unofficial custody if necessary, and get him to talk. Contractors always talked. In order to scour the rot from her department, she needed whatever information Hui had dug up on the Syndicate for Tsukuda.

Misaki carefully shifted her weight. The change in position alleviated the cramps that were beginning to form in her legs, but did nothing to help the dull pain in her lower back. She'd been feeling that off and on for the past couple of weeks; stretching after her morning swim would probably help. Finding out who the mole in Section Four was and crossing that off her list of stress-inducing problems would help even more.

A faint beeping sound suddenly broke the silence. Misaki tensed, gripping her gun more tightly, and listened. Five beeps, as if someone was punching in a five-digit code on a keypad. Then she saw the handle of the office door turn down, and the door swung open far more quietly than a door in such a deserted building ought to.

She pressed herself further into the shadows and relied on her hearing to track the progress of the person who had entered the office. The footsteps were just barely audible; a faint scuffling sound was the only giveaway that someone was moving towards the warehouse floor. The sound was a bit uneven; was he limping?

The door between the front office and the rest of the warehouse hung halfway open on rusted hinges. A slender man slipped easily through the gap. Misaki recognized Hui at once. He wasn't dressed like the Black Reaper this time, but rather wore loose slacks and a button down shirt. The cotton-soled shoes on his feet were the same however. Hui paused briefly to scan the open space in front of him, then, favoring his right leg slightly, he edged away from the office - and away from Misaki - remaining on the outskirts of the well-lit warehouse floor.

He would most likely stay as hidden as possible while he waited for his handler to arrive. They probably wouldn't get a better chance than this.

Misaki rose to her feet in a single fluid motion and raised her weapon. "Freeze!"

Her voice echoed in the emptiness, and Hui froze.

"Hands on your head," Misaki ordered. "Move into the light."

He obeyed, albeit slowly. As soon as he feet crossed the threshold into the brightness beyond the shadows of the catwalk, he halted. Misaki saw his head turn slightly towards the hidden side door. Saitou chose that moment to step out of the shadows, his own weapon trained on the contractor. Hui stiffened.

"Who are you people?" the contractor asked cautiously.

"We're just here to ask you a few questions," Misaki told him. "It would be best for everyone if you cooperate."

Hui shifted his weight so that he was angled more in Misaki's direction. He squinted into the darkness. "Wait, I think I remember you - you're cops, right?" Something like relief passed briefly across his face.

Damn. She'd been hoping that he wouldn't realize that so soon.

Not lowering the gun even an inch, she reached one hand into her left suit jacket pocket and withdrew a slim moleskin notebook. "Do you remember this?"

His eyes widened. "Hey, I've been looking for that!"

Misaki replaced the book in her pocket. "You wrote down your plans to meet Tsukuda Jiro here tonight. He was your handler with the Syndicate, correct?"

Hui rested his hands lightly on his head, but the affectation didn't mask the renewed tension in his posture. "Yes. Where is he?"

"Tsukuda was targeted by an unknown organization a week ago," Misaki said. "He's been in a persistent vegetative state since then, and is unlikely to recover."

The contractor swore in Korean. "If Tsukuda was burned, then I am too. I'm out of here."

He started to lower his hands but both Misaki and Saitou stepped forward, weapons raised, and he froze again.

Misaki narrowed her eyes. "You're not going anywhere until you've answered my questions."

"You don't understand!" Hui protested. "They'll be after me! They already are - that contractor the other day was probably one of theirs. If I stick around here, I'm dead!"

She wasn't sure what contractor he was talking about, but an attack by one of the Syndicate's agents would explain his limp. "Then you'd better talk quickly!" she snapped.

Hui blew out a breath, looking nervously around the warehouse. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Most important questions first, then. "I need names or descriptions of all the members of the Syndicate who you've come into contact with."

But he only shook his head. "Tsukuda was my handler here in Tokyo. I talked to him, no one else."

That was probably the truth. But was it the whole truth? "How long have you been in Tokyo?"

"Five months."

That matched with what his file in Astronomics said. And it fit with what little she knew of the Syndicate's methods of operation: Hei had told her that aside from his own team, _he'd_ never knowingly interacted with another member of his organization in the time that he'd been in town. Which was also about five months. That was interesting, but meaningless at the moment. Misaki tucked the information away for later analysis, and decided to try another angle. "Tsukuda told you to investigate the Syndicate, right?"

Hui grew even more wary. "How do I know that you don't work for them too?"

"If we did, wouldn't we have shot you by now?" Misaki asked. Slowly, she replaced her weapon in its holster. Saitou flashed her a questioning look, and she jerked her chin. The detective followed her example and lowered his gun; but he didn't relax his grip.

"Maybe you're just trying to find out what I know before you shoot me."

"Maybe," Misaki conceded. "But if that's the case, it doesn't change much. It just means that talking will give you a few more minutes to live."

It was the sort of logic that a contractor couldn't ignore. Hui shrugged lightly, without taking his hands from his head.

"But," she continued, "that _isn't_ the case. We're with the police. Make a deal, tell us what you know about the Syndicate, and we'll take you into protective custody.

Rather than agreeing immediately like she'd expected, Hui snorted a laugh. "Just because you're with the police, doesn't mean I'm safe with you."

Misaki's pulse picked up. "What do you mean?"

"The Syndicate owns the police, obviously. They own everybody."

" _Who_ in the police?" Misaki demanded.

Hui shrugged again. "Does it matter?" At Misaki's glare, he sighed. "I don't know. I never had anything to do with the police. Tsukuda never told me anything about it, except for one thing…" His eyes rolled up slightly as if he was searching for something in his memory. "The Syndicate has the police in a steel grip. That's all."

_In a steel grip_ \- Misaki recognized the words from the coded entry in his notebook. Maybe there was something else in there that would help jog his memory. She reached into her pocket, but when her fingers closed around the book to lift it out a twinge up pain ran up her arm and she fumbled it. Both she and Saitou reflexively removed their gazes from Hui as the book fell to the ground. And in that instant, the contractor bolted.

Hui was obviously familiar with the warehouse: he made a beeline for the only unobstructed exit - the stairs to the catwalk and the roof access door. Unfortunately for him, it was also the furthest exit, requiring him to cross the entire open floor.

Saitou recovered first, snapping up his weapon and firing at the fleeing contractor. The shot missed, and echoed painfully loud in the concrete building.

"Don't kill him!" Misaki shouted as she darted forward after Hui. "We still need him!" She ground her teeth in frustration, immediately regretting her words. Hui was a contractor, he knew they were police, and he knew they wanted him alive. The threat of gunfire was useless; it was too difficult to hit a moving, dodging target without risk of a mortal wound, and everyone in the building knew it.

Hui's limp became more pronounced as he raced towards the stairs, slowing him slightly. Misaki was closer than Saitou; as she ran, she snatched up a foot-long piece of metal pipe that was lying in her path and flung it as hard as she could at the back of the fleeing contractor. It struck him on the calf, bouncing off with a loud clang, and he stumbled long enough for a dark figure to vault down the last few steps of the metal stairway, landing directly in front of him.

Hei had his wicked-looking split-bladed knife held at the ready, the edges crackling with live electricity. His face was calm and terrifying in its complete lack of emotion.

Hui immediately threw himself backwards, his eyes fixed on the Black Reaper. "I knew they would send someone to kill me," he muttered, seemingly to himself.

"Not me," Hei said flatly. He didn't move from his position in front of the stairs, but the power abruptly disappeared from his knife.

Misaki stepped up behind Hui. She took a deep breath to slow her breathing after her sprint. "He's with us."

The contractor glanced between the three of them in surprise. "You're really not with the Syndicate?"

She shook her head. "We're want to find out what it is the Syndicate is after. But before we go any further, I think you should put these on." She tossed a pair of handcuffs at Hui, who caught them automatically. He opened his mouth to protest, but she shot him a stern look. "Until I can trust you to cooperate fully, you're wearing them."

Hui looked askance at Hei, who still hadn't moved. He came to the rational conclusion, and closed the cuffs around his wrists.

"Tsukuda ordered you to do the same thing that we're trying to do," Misaki said. "Dig up information on the Syndicate's goals. It has something to do with South America and Heaven's Gate, right?"

In the background, Hei's attention abruptly shifted to her. She hadn't had a chance to tell him what she'd learned from Kaede. Or rather, she had - but not knowing how he would react, she'd decided to keep it to herself for a few days.

Hui gave her an appraising look. "Yes," he said. "There've been rumors flying around like crazy recently - that the same thing that happened at Heaven's Gate was going to happen here. And that the Syndicate was involved. I asked Tsukuda if it was true; he claimed that it wasn't, but I think he was lying, because he asked me to look into it."

"Where did you hear those rumors? A trustworthy source?"

"Maybe. About a month ago I was approached by a contractor. He tried to recruit me into his organization by telling me that the rumors were true, and they were fighting the Syndicate to prevent it from happening."

_Now we're finally getting somewhere!_ Misaki thought. Out loud, she said, "What organization? Evening Primrose?"

_Both_ contractors reacted to that phrase. Hui nodded in confirmation, but Hei's eyes narrowed in confusion. Or maybe suspicion.

"I'm assuming that you didn't take them up on their offer, since you're still part of the Syndicate," Misaki said. "Why not?"

Hui raised his cuffed hands in a gesture that meant that the answer should be obvious. "Their argument was interesting, but it wasn't proof. And they couldn't pay me - they wanted me to join for nothing! The Syndicate may be trying to kill me now, but their checks never bounced."

That made sense. A well-paid contractor was hard to turn; it was strange that EPR would try to recruit one without having anything to offer in return. "What _was_ their argument?" Misaki asked out of curiosity.

"He claimed that their leader had seen into the future, and that the only way I would live through the next two months was if the Syndicate was stopped from doing whatever it is they're doing. I still don't know what that is. I said I would only join if I could meet with this leader, this Amber, and -"

" _Amber_?" Hei broke in. Suddenly there was murder in his eyes. Misaki took an involuntary step back. So did Hui. Next to Hei, Saitou tensed.

"That's the name he gave me," Hui said nervously. "He said that she knew everything that would happen."

"She can't predict the future," Hei said in a low, angry voice, "only freeze time or rewind it. She changes what _she_ wants to change; nothing else. If she tells anyone otherwise, it's a lie."

The pain in his voice was unmistakable. Misaki wanted to comfort him, for him to just _talk_ to her about that deep hurt that he'd been harboring for so long; but now was hardly the right time.

"Hui, were you able to meet with her?" she asked in an attempt to keep the conversation on track and Hei's emotions in check. She would have loved to hear more about Amber's supposed power - the implications were slightly horrifying - but that was irrelevant at the moment.

The contractor shook his head. "Apparently she only sees certain people."

Misaki opened her mouth to ask a follow-up question, when her pocket buzzed. "Hang on," she said to the room at large, and withdrew her phone. It was a text from Kanami. As Misaki skimmed over the message, her eyes widened.

"Chief?" Saitou asked worriedly. "What is it?"

"Someone rerouted the specters that were assigned to patrol this block," Misaki said. "Kanami's trying to override it, but we've been dark for the past five minutes."

"What does that -" Saitou began, but Hui interrupted him.

"It's the Syndicate - I told you they were after me! Get these off!" He held out his hands, the chain on the cuffs jingling, as he cast panicked looks around the warehouse.

Hei had his knife out again and was edging closer the shadows. "You should step away from him," he told Misaki quietly, his gaze flitting up to the dark corners of the catwalk above them.

"To hell with that!" she snapped. "Without Hui we're right back at square one. I'm getting him ou-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently and she was thrown to the hard cement floor.


	10. Chapter 10

Hei swayed on his feet, struggling to keep his balance as the ground shook beneath him. The whole building was trembling: steel girders groaned and shrieked while dust and debris began to fall from the ceiling. Misaki was on the floor. Quickly sheathing his knife so that he could have both hands free, he surged towards her only to be flung back again when a slab of concrete buckled under his foot.

But Misaki was already rising, a scowl on her face. She jerked a fallen Hui to his feet. "We have to get out of here!" she shouted over the din.

Before Hei could answer, a heavy shower of broken wooden support beams crashed to the floor in between them, forcing Hei back towards where Saitou was picking himself up off the floor. More rubble was raining down; he couldn't see her, couldn't see if she'd been hit.

"Misaki!" Hei shouted, coughing in the cloud of dust.

To his vast relief, she answered. "I'm here; we're fine." Her voice was hoarse but she sounded unhurt.

The contractor who was causing this mini earthquake was most likely outside; if they fled they'd be running right into him. But the only alternative was to stay and be buried alive.

"Get to the rendezvous!" he called out as yet another huge chunk of ceiling crashed down. He dodged backwards out of the way.

"Right!"

Splitting up was the very last thing that Hei wanted to do. But Misaki was alright, and she was more than capable of extricating herself. Right now he needed her more than she needed him. _Emotions are unnecessary distractions_ , he reminded himself.

Drawing upon the techniques that he had learned long ago to harness his adrenaline, Hei forced down the panic that was threatening to rise and took in the situation. The warehouse seemed to be imploding from the center out; the middle of the floor was rapidly filling with debris but the walls were still standing. What light that wasn't blocked by the dust clogging the air was flickering madly as the fixtures swayed and snapped free.

"Side door?" Saitou asked. The detective's face was pale but determined.

Too much floor space and debris between them and the front office. The stairs to the catwalk were right behind him, but the roof as an exit was out. The side door was close enough.

"Go."

Without waiting to make sure that Saitou was following, Hei dashed around the staircase into the shadowy walkway beneath the catwalk. The metal overhead protected them from the heavier bits of rubble that were falling, but the floor continued to pitch and buckle as if it were choppy water in the bay rather than solid concrete; the darkness made it nearly impossible for him to pick out a clear path.

Showers of dust filtered through the mesh of the catwalk, threatening to choke; he was just about to reach into his coat for his mask when a sudden, massive tremor pitched him to the ground. A loud metallic shriek ripped through the air, and the catwalk five feet ahead of him buckled, crashing to the floor and bringing with it the upper story of the building.

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki pushed the cuffed contractor through the warehouse's office entrance, staggering out right after him as the glass windows burst into jagged shards behind them. They dashed across the street and halted next to an empty store front. She leaned against the brick wall, breathing heavily; it felt like she'd inhaled a sandstorm.

"Can you take these off now?" Hui pleaded.

Misaki shook her head, eyes on the warehouse door. "Not until we've finished our conversation." Where were Saitou and Hei? She'd thought that they'd been right behind her…

The building groaned and shuddered, but aside from the broken glass that was the only sign that anything unusual was happening. Not a single tremor was to be felt where they stood just twenty feet away.

Hui made an exasperated sound that turned into a coughing fit, but Misaki ignored him and shifted her gaze to the narrow alleyway on the side of the warehouse. If the other two hadn't be able to make it to the office, they'd try the side door. Maybe she should run that way and see if there was any way she could help. Hei had told her to go to the rendezvous, but she couldn't just leave him and Saitou behind.

But before she make up her mind to move, a tremor so large that she was nearly thrown from her feet again shook the warehouse. The walls of the second floor folded inward with a cascading crash that seemed to last for an hour. Hei and Saitou hadn't emerged.

"No!" Misaki darted forward into the street, desperate to get to them. Hands caught her upper arm; she turned to face Hui, about to punch him in the nose - but his grim, urgent expression stopped her. He was staring past her at the roof of the building next door to the collapsing warehouse. Misaki followed his gaze: a man, limned in pale blue light, was crouched there.

No sooner had she spotted the contractor than he turned towards them and the ground beneath their feet erupted in an explosion of asphalt. Hui's grip on her arm slipped as they stumbled back, but Misaki caught him and pulled him back to the sidewalk. It was Hui that the new contractor was after; if they fled the scene, he would follow. The others would have a chance to get out - as long as they were unhurt. Which they were. They had to be.

"Let's go!" Without hesitation, Misaki took off down the street. She trusted Hui to stick close by; she had the keys to the handcuffs, after all.

The tremors followed them, asphalt chunks flying and biting at their heels. Something sharp cut across her temple, but Misaki didn't slow down. Despite the awkwardness of running with his hands bound in front of him, Hui kept pace with her well. The attacks didn't stop until they turned a corner and were out of sight of the contractor; even then, Misaki kept running.

Hei's safe house, or whatever it was, was about a mile away, deeper into the seedy neighborhood that edged the warehouse district. There was more traffic on the streets here, but not a lot; and none of the people hanging about in dimly lit doorways and alley entrances paid any attention to her and Hui as they dashed past. In her own neighborhood, the sight would have generated a dozen panicked calls to the police.

Misaki didn't slow down until they were one street away from the address that Hei had given her. They circled the block once so that she could be sure that no one was following; she didn't spot anyone suspicious, but all the same she was grateful that she had her weapon. It was next to impossible to not reach up and check that it was still secure in its holster, even though she could feel its comforting weight. She did reach up to wipe away the blood that had been steadily trickling into the corner of her mouth.

The side alley where Hei's place was tucked away was dark, but it was easy enough to find: a sturdy metal door on the ground floor of an aging tenement. The single window had been boarded over. Misaki squinted at the multiple-disc combination lock that held the door shut, wishing that she'd thought to bring a flashlight with her tonight.

Instead, she tugged Hui closer. "Hey," she said. "Can you hold your hands in front of the lock, and draw on your power just enough for a glow?"

The contractor gave her a blank look, but he did as she asked. The light from the synchrotron radiation was just enough for her to make out the numbers. Misaki quickly turned the dials on the padlock until they read: _0201_. The lock clicked open. Exhaling in relief, she removed the lock and opened the door, ushering Hui inside ahead of her. She shut the door immediately, throwing the deadbolt. Then she felt around on the wall by the door for the light switch, and flipped it on.

"Is this place safe?" Hui asked, a nervous edge to his voice as he gazed about the room.

"It should be," Misaki said. "It doesn't belong to the police _or_ the Syndicate, and there's no way that contractor could have gotten down from the roof in time to follow us."

Now that she had a moment to breathe, Misaki took in their surroundings as well. It was a single, wide room with very little depth. A grill-style kitchen took up most of the back wall, with a torn vinyl booth tucked into one corner along with a few stools, tables, and chairs. A defunct dive bar, perhaps. The kitchen showed signs of recent use: clean cookware was stacked on the counter top and the stove gleamed with fresh scrubbing. Misaki had watched Hei cooking often enough to recognize the care that he took as he worked. And if that hadn't been enough, the strip of sharpened kitchen knives hanging on the wall would have been a dead giveaway. What did he keep this place for? There was nothing here that his own room or her place didn't have.

_Worry about that later_ , she told herself _._ Misaki gestured to one of the wooden chairs. "Sit. We can talk while we wait for the others to get here." They wouldn't be far behind. They'd had plenty of time when the walls collapsed to get to cover.

Hui looked askance at the ropes that were attached the sides of the chair. "Handcuffs not enough for someone as _dangerous_ as me?" he asked as he took a seat.

She didn't miss the sarcasm, and chose to ignore it. She also chose to ignore those ropes and the million questions that sprang to mind. Hui was her subject for interrogation tonight, not the Black Reaper. Blood was still streaming down the side of her face; Misaki began hunting through the cupboards for a first aid kit. Strangely, there wasn't so much as a box of Band-Aids in the room.

"So Tsukuda is really out the game?" Hui asked hesitantly while she rummaged.

"Yes." A clean dish rag was the best option that she could find. It stung a little when she pressed it to the gash on her temple, but at least that stopped the bleeding.

"Ah."

Misaki glanced over at the contractor; he'd sounded almost…sad. "How long had he been your handler?"

"As long as I've been in Tokyo."

She moved to stand slightly to the side of his chair, forcing him to angle himself uncomfortably to keep her in sight. "Did you like working with him?"

Hui shrugged. "A handler is a handler." He paused for a long moment, continuing to scan the room. Then he added, "As long as a handler does his job, it doesn't really matter what he's like. But out of all the humans I've worked with, Tsukuda was the only one who treated me like I was a person."

The regret in his voice sounded genuine. Maybe she could use that. "Contractors don't exactly have an easy life," she said. "Doing the dirty work for humans. You know EPR sent the government a manifesto - they want rights for contractors, the same as normal humans have."

Hui nodded, turning his head to glance at the wall behind him. "Like I said, their offer was very interesting; they just couldn't pay."

Misaki's forehead furrowed in thought. "And now that the Syndicate has burned you?"

"Now I think I'd have a better chance with EPR than on my own."

"What if," Misaki said, choosing her words carefully, "I were to offer you a deal. If you do join EPR, Section Four will pay you as a confidential informant to report on their activities."

The contractor raised an eyebrow at that. "I told you, the Syndicate owns the police."

"They don't own me." Misaki folder her arms across her chest. "You have to know something more, or you wouldn't have bothered to make a note about it in your journal. What did you mean by _a steel grip_?"

"It might help me remember if I could have the journal back."

Misaki hesitated. It was true that Hei had transcribed most of it, the copies of which were tucked away safely on her book case; but the original was still primary evidence…that she had obtained during an event which she'd lied about in her official report

"Your hands stay cuffed," she said at last, and pulled the notebook out of her jacket pocket. Her arm was still aching, but she didn't drop the book this time.

Hui took it eagerly, and began flipping through the pages. He paused on one of the coded sections, muttering to himself in Korean. With difficulty, Misaki resisted the urge to tap her foot impatiently.

"Hands," he said at last. "That's what I meant."

Misaki gave him a blank look. "Hands?"

Hui shrugged, his gaze flickering about the room once again. "The person you're looking for - the Syndicate's inside man in the police. One of them, anyway; I'm sure they have more. I don't remember exactly why, but there was something significant about his hands."

_Hands_. The beginning of a worrying thought was forming in Misaki's mind. "Alright. What about - _what_ are you looking for? I told you, it's safe here!"

"That contractor," Hui said. His voice was calm, but he was gripping his notebook tightly. "He'll still be looking for me."

"We're safe," Misaki repeated. "Even if he could find us, he must have used up all of his power at the warehouse. Overpowered contractors like that usually take longer to regain their powers after making their payments; we should have plenty of time."

"Not if it's a blood price."

"Blood price?"

The look that Hui gave her made her feel like a particularly stupid schoolgirl. "A price that's tied to blood. They can't _stop_ using their powers until blood has been paid. Most of those contractors didn't make it out of South America; too unstable. I'm sure the Syndicate still has a few left though. This guy…he felt like one them."

She pulled the towel away from the cut on her temple to reveal a dark red stain. "Well, I'm bleeding."

But Hui shook his head. "It takes a bit more than that. Try a severed femoral artery. Or a skewered liver. He won't stop - _can't_ stop - until one of us is dead."

A memory of the forfeiter, Havoc, came to her mind. Havoc had been rumored to be heavily involved in the South American conflict, with a truly terrifying power - and an even more terrifying payment. Misaki suppressed a shudder at the idea that the contractor who was after them now was playing on that same level. And incurring a similar price.

Hei had been involved in that case; it was the first time that Section Four had knowingly crossed paths with BK-201. It was all connected: Hei, South America, the Syndicate, EPR. The puzzle pieces were all there, but she still couldn't see the big picture.

"And if he can't find us?" she demanded.

"Anyone will do." Hui blanched at her expression, then added hurriedly, "But the Syndicate sent him to kill _me_. He'll keep looking."

"Until the pressure to pay his price gets to be too much, and he crushes some poor civilian in their bed." Misaki tugged the journal out of Hui's hands and stuffed it back into her pocket. "You wait here."

The contractor opened his mouth - to protest, no doubt - but then his eyes fixed on a spot behind her and widened. Misaki spun, but there was nothing there; just the boarded up window. "What is it?" she demanded.

"Specter."

Her first thought was that it must be Yin, keeping an eye on her despite Hei's refusal to involve the doll. But there wasn't a drop of water in the place.

_Shit_. "I guess you're coming with me, then. Let's - "

The tremor that struck the safe house shook the walls to their very foundation.


	11. Chapter 11

When Hei opened his eyes, he was met with total darkness. Before the panic could set in, he remembered what had happened - the collapsing walls must have taken the lights with them. Something heavy lay across his chest, pinning his shoulder to the ground. Metal. A piece of the catwalk had landed on him. Had Misaki had time to get out? Where was Saitou?

Stifling a groan of pain, Hei attempted to slide out from under the catwalk, but he couldn't get his arm loose. He gritted his teeth and shoved at the metal with his free hand. It was just beginning to shift when his shoulder exploded in pain and he let go, gasping. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, and inhaled a deep breath. _Focus on the present._ He couldn't help anyone, trapped as he was.

A cough sounded behind him, and he froze. The cough came again, louder this time.

"Saitou?"

There was no answer at first; then the detective said, "Yeah," and dissolved into another coughing fit.

Hei waited until the other man had gotten his breath back, then asked, "Can you move?"

"I think - " Saitou grunted in pain, and the sound of rubble striking concrete sent a spike of adrenaline through Hei's veins. But the building had ceased shaking, he realized. And it wasn't as completely dark as he'd thought at first; his eyes were beginning to adjust to some dim, unseen source of light.

More debris shifted, and Saitou exhaled with a whoosh of air. "Yeah, alright. I'm free."

"Do you have a flashlight?" Maybe if he could see exactly what was trapping him, he'd be able to move.

In the darkness he heard a dull thumping, like something heavy being struck against a palm, then a soft click; a beam of blue-white light abruptly flooded the small space. Saitou was a tall shadow behind the glare of the flashlight as he swept it back and forth until it landed on Hei.

Squinting against the sudden glare, Hei studied his position. One end of the section of catwalk rested atop a portion of collapsed wall; the other was buried beneath a pile of broken concrete. That was what was pressing down on his shoulder.

The light bobbled as Saitou made his way awkwardly across the few feet of debris-strewn space to Hei.

"Help me shift this," Hei said.

Saitou shown the light down on him, but didn't move. For a long, tense moment, Hei thought that he was going to leave him there rather than help. It would have been a reasonable thing to do. But then the detective said, "Let me see if I can get these rocks out of the way."

He wedged the flashlight between a chunk of concrete and a wooden beam. As he climbed over the fallen catwalk, careful not to set any of his weight on it, the beam of light illuminated a long, dark red stain on his gray pant leg.

"How bad is that?" Hei asked.

Saitou glanced down at his leg. "I'm fine."

Hei didn't quite believe him. The blood wasn't so excessive as to be a punctured artery, but there was quite a bit, and exertion could cause even moderate wounds to become dangerous. "Just be careful. You'll be a liability if you bleed out."

Rather than answer, Saitou doggedly fixed his gaze on the concrete and began lifting the blocks from off of the buried end of the catwalk and dumping them on the ground. As he worked, Hei maintained his grip on the edge of the metal and did his best to lever it free. Between Saitou's injured leg and the pain in Hei's shoulder, it was slow going; Hei had to actively force his breathing to stay even whenever his thoughts began to stray to what might be happening in another part of the warehouse. Every second mattered.

Saitou was apparently thinking along the same lines, because after a few minutes, he said, "The Chief…"

"Is fine," Hei said, with more certainty than he felt. "She's too stubborn to die so easily."

Saitou merely snorted in response. Hei knew what he meant.

At last, a large stone rolled free and Hei was able to push the catwalk up far enough that the pressure was no longer on shoulder. Saitou took up a grip on the edge and braced himself on his good leg.

"On three," Hei said, and the detective nodded. "One…two…" They both drew in a deep breath, and Hei tensed his muscles. " _Three_."

Saitou heaved the catwalk upwards with a strained grunt, while Hei pushed away with his free hand and both legs. He scooted out from beneath the entrapping metal just before it slipped from Saitou's grip in a billow of dust.

Hei heaved a sigh of relief, only to cough on the silty air, and leaned uncomfortably against the rubble to regain his breath. He pressed a hand against his shoulder to test it and was unable to suppress a grimace. It was painful; but not debilitating.

"Anything broken?" Saitou asked.

Hei shook his head; the other man slid tiredly to the ground beside him and stretched out his bleeding leg. "So which way is out now?" the detective asked.

A schematic of the warehouse floor formed in Hei's mind. They'd been heading towards the side door, and he didn't think that he'd been turned around at all when the ceiling had fallen in. He twisted in place to stretch for the flashlight and nearly blacked out when a jolt of pain raced across his chest. Saitou reached over him, plucked the light from its perch, and handed it over. Hei nodded once in thanks and took the light.

Slowly running the beam over the wall of broken concrete in front of them, he searched for any kind of way past it; but he didn't detect so much as a crack. He swung the light upwards. Most of the catwalk was still intact, supported from below by sturdy steel posts; that was what had saved them from being completely crushed by the roof and upper story. But if there was no exit, that simply meant that they would die a slow, dull death rather than a quick one. Misaki could be out there even now, trapped under a crushing cascade of stone, and -

No. She'd gotten out in plenty of time, and was probably already at the rendezvous.

Hei carefully levered himself to his feet so that he could inspect the area behind them. Beyond the cover of the catwalk, the debris from the ceiling and walls had buried the warehouse's central floor, piling nearly to the base of the catwalk itself like sand dunes on junkyard beach. There might be a way out through there, but the footing would be treacherous and there was no guarantee of finding an exit. The outer wall of lower story was intact for as far as Hei could see - which wasn't far, considering the rubble that was clogging the walkway. But if they stuck close to the wall, and if the cover offered by the catwalk held out…yes, that was the best chance.

"This way," Hei said. Pausing long enough to ensure that Saitou was still able to stand on his own, he led the way towards their exit.

They had to pick their way carefully amongst the debris. In addition to the broken concrete were bits of splintered wood, twisted rebar, and glass from the upper story windows. Hei regretted his cotton-soled shoes; they were ideal for silently stalking a target - not for traversing a floor strewn with jagged edges and lumpy stone. He stepped lightly, keeping the flashlight beam close to his feet so that Saitou could follow his path in the darkness. The detective was moving slowly but staunchly. Hei didn't attempt to hurry him along; it hurt too much to raise his arm much above parallel, and without that added point of balance he couldn't have gone much faster in any case.

"Can I ask you something?"

Hei was grateful that his startlement at the break in the silence was masked by the near darkness. He nodded slightly; then, realizing that Saitou probably couldn't have seen the motion, he said, "What."

The detective paused for a long minute. "You and the Chief," he said at last. "Do you actually care about her, or is this just some sort of con? A mission to get close to the police?"

"The Syndicate is already close to the police," Hei said darkly. If he ever found out who their rat was, he would kill the man - or woman - himself. Anything to lighten the burden that Misaki was suffering under.

"I know. But you didn't answer the question."

Damn. Saitou was a simple sort of man, but simple didn't mean stupid; he wasn't a detective for no reason. Hei had a feeling that the wrong answer could very easily lead to a bullet in the back of his head. But he wasn't sure what answer Saitou wanted to hear. So, he told the truth.

"Yes. I care about her."

"Why?"

"Why?" Hei repeated, nonplussed. Her fierce intelligence, how she would stubbornly pursue any line of reasoning until she found her answer; the light in her eyes when she smiled, her loyalty and sense of justice, the way her hand tangled in her hair as she slept…he felt it at a visceral level. There was no way that he could put it into words. "Why do _you_ care about her?"

But Saitou wasn't about to let the question be turned back on him like that. "Do you love her?" he pressed, almost angrily.

Hei abruptly stopped in his tracks; the detective stumbled back a step as Hei spun to face him, his grip tightening on the flashlight. Biting back an angry retort, Hei exhaled slowly and forced the pent up emotion to subside. "How can someone like me answer a question like that?" he asked quietly, and turned away.

Saitou made no response. They continued their trek in silence.

But the detective's question had broken through Hei's focus, and now he found himself unable to keep Misaki from his mind. He'd been completely useless to her tonight. The whole point of him being there had been to keep watch - but at the slightest hint of trouble he'd abandoned his post to rush in and help. Saitou had been there, as planned; and Misaki had been in complete control, as always. She hadn't needed Hei at all; and because of his mistake, his _emotions_ , this earthquake-causing contractor had been able to get close enough to take down the entire building. _Both_ Misaki and Saitou could have been killed, and their blood would have been on his hands.

Worse, if the Syndicate found out what he was doing, it wouldn't just be Hei that they sent such a dangerous contractor after. The target on Misaki's back would be impossible to miss.

The most frightening idea, however, was that Amber was somehow involved in all of this. Apparently Hei wasn't the only contractor that she was trying to recruit in whatever war she was waging against the Syndicate. She'd already kidnapped Yin in order to get to him, and he knew from unfortunate experience that the line was where _she_ drew it, and nowhere else. Did she know about Misaki?

A new light flickering in the darkness distracted him from his thoughts. A large pile of rubble blocked the pathway up ahead, but the intermittent flashes showed gaps and holes where larger chunks of concrete were stacked upon one another. Hei shone the flashlight into one of the gaps and peered through.

"What is it?" Saitou asked, his breathing a little shorter than it ought to have been for such a slow walk.

Set into an alcove in the wall just beyond the obstruction was what he had been hoping to find: the rolling metal door of the warehouse's single loading bay. It was hard to tell if the door had been damaged in the collapse; they'd have to get past the rubble first.

"What we're looking for," Hei said. "A way out. We need to shift these blocks."

On a normal day, either one of them would have been able to manage it on his own; but now it was a daunting task. The detritus was simple enough to clear away, but Hei couldn't lift any of the heavier pieces, while Saitou had trouble bracing himself for any kind of good leverage.

"Hang on," Hei said, pausing for breath after yet another futile attempt to move a large block at the top of the stack. He grabbed the flashlight from where he'd lodged it in the debris behind them and swept the beam up and down the pile. It would take them forever to shift the blocks one by one until there was a large enough gap for someone Saitou's to squeeze through. But if he could find…

"There!" Saitou exclaimed.

Hei looked to where the other man was pointing. A narrow beam of wood was wedged between a large protruding stone and the metal support column of the catwalk, about halfway up the pile. His eyebrow lifted in surprise; that was exactly what he'd been looking for.

"Careful," he warned Saitou as he pulled out one of his knives. "I don't know how this will fall."

Cringing at the unavoidable damage to the steel, Hei slid his blade between the concrete and the wood and levered it back and forth until the beam slid free just enough that he could get a grip on it. He holstered the knife, then hooked the beam with the crook of his elbow. Saitou crouched down on one knee, his bloodied leg stretched awkwardly behind him, and took a solid grip on the block.

"Okay," the detective said. "Go."

Hei heaved the wooden beam against the metal post with all of the strength he could muster. Tendons straining, Saitou pulled at the block until it budged a bare centimeter. Bits of rubble trickled down from the top of the pile.

"Again," Hei said.

On their third attempt, the block of concrete came free with a grinding screech of stone. The two men pressed themselves against the wall as the entire mountain of debris avalanched onto the floor where they'd been working in a long, never-ending rumble. Hei covered his face with his sleeve in a futile attempt to protect himself from the dust.

Saitou let out a barking laugh, and Hei risked lowering his arm enough to take a look at their handiwork. Lit by the flickering glow of twisted, hanging fluorescent lights, the space beyond was just as debris-filled as the passageway they'd been following, but it was manageable. More importantly, the door of the loading bay was accessible.

Resisting the urge to heave a huge sigh of relief, Hei followed Saitou to the door. It was the heavy roll-up kind, with a single twistable handle at the bottom. There was quite a bit of rust in the tracks towards the tops; that might make it more difficult to open, but Hei was pretty sure that they could manage. An odd buzzing noise was humming in his ears, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"There's a chain on the outside," he told the detective. "Running from a ring bolt in the floor to the handle."

Saitou frowned. "If the door lifts even just an inch, I should be able to shoot the chain off. Unless it was high quality?"

"No," Hei said, then paused. A familiar prickling sensation was running across his skin, so faint that he nearly didn't sense it. By the time he realized the danger, Saitou was already crouched down and reaching for the door handle. _"Don't_ -"

His hand closed around Saitou's shoulder just as the other man touched the metal. Saitou gasped in shock, and an instant later a jolt of electricity ripped up Hei's hand and through his arm. He reacted instinctively and directed the current through his chest, down his other arm, and into the nearest thing that he could reach - which happened to be the support post of the catwalk. Tiny jets of lightning crackled across the metal surface, then disappeared down the tunnel.

The pain in his injured shoulder nearly doubled him over; he straightened up with a groan and blinked away the residual glare. Saitou was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Hand?" Hei managed to gasp out. Redirecting a current like that never felt good, even when he had time to prepare for it. His own electricity felt natural, even necessary at times; but any sort of external source tended to hurt.

Saitou glanced down at his hand as if seeing it for the first time. "Stings a little," he said in disbelief. "But it's fine. What…?"

"There must be live wire buried somewhere near the door. I'll take care of it."

Now that he knew what to look for, the wire was easy to find: one of the fluorescent lights had fallen from the ceiling, then been torn from its cable, which had become trapped against the base of the metal door. Drawing on his power, he sent a strong enough counter-current up through the wire. The flickering lights around them exploded in a shower of blue sparks, then winked out altogether as the circuit blew, leaving them in meager glow from the flashlight. Hei hated to do it - it was doubtful that Misaki's friend would be able to mask such a large burst of activity - but there wasn't much choice if they wanted to get out.

"Can you raise the door with that shoulder?" Saitou asked, drawing his gun and chambering a round.

Hei squatted down and grasped the handle. It turned easily enough; gripping tightly, he braced his feet and used his legs to push upwards. The door groaned, but didn't move. He leaned his forehead against the metal, breathing heavily.

"Maybe we should trade places," the detective suggested.

But Hei shook his head. "You're probably a better shot than me. I've got this; just get into position."

Saitou gave him a hard look, but he did as Hei had said, and stretched out on the debris-strewn ground as best he could. He positioned the flashlight at the base of the door where the chain was locking it down on the outside. Then he aimed his weapon at the center of the beam, and nodded to Hei.

Hei inhaled deeply in preparation, and leaned his good shoulder against the door. "Okay," he told Saitou, and pulled upwards with all his strength. The metal creaked as the rust was ground between the door and its track, and Hei felt it shift ever so slightly. Ignoring the pain, he added his other hand to his grip on the handle and heaved. The door rolled up centimeter by centimeter, sweat dripping down his brow, until at last the chain pulled taut and halted the movement.

"Hold there," Saitou said intently. Hei could hear him steadying his breath as he aimed, and braced himself for the sound of the gun shot. Though nothing short of noise-canceling ear muffs could have prepared him for the explosion that echoed through the confined space when Saitou pulled the trigger.

"Once more!" Saitou mouthed to him - or maybe he shouted it; Hei couldn't hear a thing above the ringing in his ears. He nodded, and tightened his grip. Fire was burning through his shoulder, but he focused on counting his breaths until the pain was nothing but a distant annoyance.

The gun exploded again and the door jolted in Hei's hands, sliding up nearly a foot. He grunted under the strain, but his injured arm refused to lift it any higher.

Saitou clambered to his feet, holstering his weapon, and gripped the base of the door beside Hei. They heaved together, and the wide metal sheet rolled up in a shower of rust flakes. As soon it reached chest height, Hei slipped outside while Saitou held it steady. Hei then turned back and braced his good shoulder beneath the base to allow Saitou long enough to let go and get out. As soon as the detective was through, Hei let the door fall with a crashing thud.

Fear and anticipation welled up at the thought of getting to Misaki - and what it would mean if she wasn't at the rendezvous. Without pausing to regain his breath, Hei turned to start towards his safe house - when Saitou suddenly gripped his upper arm.

Hei tensed, and faced the dour detective.

"One more thing," Saitou said, not a trace of his normal good will in his expression. "If she gets hurt because of you, I'll kill you myself."

Hei returned the look steadily. "If she gets hurt because of me…I won't stop you."


	12. Chapter 12

Misaki and Hui lurched out of the safe house and into the alley moments before the abandoned three-story building came crashing down, the massive cloud of dust billowing behind them as they dashed onto the main street. Other people were beginning to pour into the street as well, and Misaki realized that the trembling of the ground hadn't stopped; in fact, it was getting worse. The windows in all the surrounding buildings rattled violently; a few had already broken.

If Hui was right about the blood price, then that at least meant that no one had been killed yet. But on the other hand, the whole neighborhood was about to be torn to pieces, whether the contractor managed to catch Hui or not.

"Where is he?" Misaki shouted over the din.

Hui shook his head, wide-eyed. "I don't know, but the specter followed us out."

"Damn it," she swore. "We have to get out of the street before -"

A woman ten feet away screamed as the ground erupted in an explosion of asphalt. The crowd panicked and began to scatter, but the rend in the earth ripped straight towards Hui. He turned and raced headlong down the street, dodging people and slamming those who were too slow out of his way. Anyone who got caught in the earthquake's path was thrown violently down, crying out in pain.

Misaki looked wildly up and down the street. Their earlier encounter had proved that their attacker needed line of sight on his target; a tall building would suffice. But that was how he'd lost Hui the first time. A smart contractor - and most of the contractors who had survived their initial turning were smart - would change his tactic, and follow on foot. In a crowd full of frightened and distracted people, very few were likely to notice anything unusual; their attention would be focused solely on escaping from the chaos.

Up ahead, Hui darted around a corner and out of Misaki's sight. As he did, a man wrapped in a dim blue glow dashed out of a darkened doorway and chased after him. Misaki sprinted after them both, desperately trying not to fall as she drew her weapon while dodging the holes and blocks of asphalt in the torn-up street.

She turned the corner just Hui tripped and sprawled on the pavement, unable to keep his balance with his cuffed hands. The contractor paused and raised a hand - probably to be sure of his aim. Misaki threw herself into a full stop, brought her gun up with both hands, and fired off four rounds directly into the man's center of mass. His back arched abruptly; at least one of the shots had struck.

Tightening her grip on the weapon, Misaki followed the contractor's fall to the street. It was too dark from her position to tell if he was bleeding; she kept her eyes on the fallen form as she cautiously stepped closer. The tremors had stopped completely.

The contractor lay face-up on the pavement, his eyes open and glassy. As Misaki approached, she saw the dark pool spreading out beneath him. Only when she'd seen the blood did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Holstering her gun, Misaki looked over to see if Hui was alright - but the street was empty except for her and the dead man. Biting back a curse, Misaki returned to the dead contractor. Her hand was halfway to her phone before she realized that she couldn't call this in; there was absolutely no way that she could explain her presence in the neighborhood, let alone killing one of the Syndicate's most dangerous assets. She couldn't even go back to the main street to give assistance to the injured bystanders. Someone would have called the local police by now, but she didn't dare let anyone identify her.

Instead, she gritted her teeth and made her way to the alley via the opposite entrance. That was where Hei and Saitou would go to look for her; if they didn't show up soon, she would backtrack to the warehouse. Panic began to edge into her conscious mind as her adrenaline ebbed. What if they _had_ been trapped in the first attack? She would have to call for help; from a pay phone, maybe. Anonymously. Like Hei had done that one time. Her heart fluttered madly - did she even have change with her?

Two figures suddenly lurched around a corner ahead of her, beyond the mouth of the alley; Misaki's hand instinctively flew to her gun. But a moment later, she recognized them, and nearly laughed out loud in relief. Saitou was limping and leaning heavily on Hei, who was holding his own arm somewhat awkwardly. Misaki let go of her weapon and ran the last few yards to reach them.

"Thank god," she gasped. "Are you both alright?"

They were covered in dust and grime and looked completely exhausted. Saitou removed his weight from Hei's shoulder to stand on his own; his pant leg was soaked through with blood, she realized with a shock.

"Nothing serious," her subordinate assured her.

"You need to get to a hospital," she told him. "Hei, what about you - are you okay?" She wanted to throw herself into his arms, to be reassured that he was really here, and alright; but that would probably make Saitou uncomfortable. And she was sure that if she did, she would break down completely - there would be time for that later.

Hei nodded wearily. "Let's go inside and get cleaned up."

"Inside?" Misaki was momentarily at a loss; then her brain caught up with the events of the past quarter hour. "Oh. We can't really do that."

He gave her a blank look. In answer, Misaki stepped towards the alley; the two men followed her. "That contractor caught up with us earlier…I hope you have renter's insurance."

Hei came up to stand beside her, and stared in shock at the remains of his building. "Uh," he said.

Misaki burst out laughing, nearly delirious with exhaustion. A warm hand curled around hers and squeezed, and she leaned gratefully into him, just the tiniest bit, as her laughter subsided.

"Where's KN-302?" Saitou asked.

"He took off when I was engaging the other contractor," Misaki said. "I got a little bit more out of him, but not much. I'll fill you in tomorrow; I'm too tired to think straight right now. We should get out of here before emergency responders show up."

Saitou nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. "I don't think I can walk all the way back to my car. Take him with you so you can drop him wherever he needs to be; I'll wait here."

"I can't just leave you alone!" Misaki protested. "You're injured!"

Her subordinate gingerly lowered himself to sit on a pile of brick that was spilling out of the alley. "No one will see me this far out of the way, and I have plenty of ammunition left if I need it."

Hei took the keys from Saitou's outstretched hand. "It'll look less suspicious if there's two of us walking down the street so late at night," he told Misaki. "It won't take long."

Misaki eyed the two of them. She really ought to stay with Saitou; he was her responsibility, after all. But they both seemed to be in agreement with the suggestion, and she wasn't sure that the argument would be worth it. And besides that, Hei seemed just as unwilling to let go of her hand as she was to let go of his. Sirens sounded in the distance.

"Fine," she said at last. "Saitou, call me right away if there's any problem; I'll be back as soon as I can."

~~~~o~~~~

They took side streets and back alleys until they had left the neighborhood, being sure to stay out of sight of the emergency vehicles. Misaki couldn't help stealing looks each time they crossed an intersection; it was hard to tell, but she didn't think that anyone had been seriously injured. Property damage seemed to be the major extent of it, and that could be explained away by something cliche yet plausible, like a volatile gas leak. A protective coating of bullshit, as her father liked to say. Hopefully no one had gotten a good look at the glowing blue man, or her phone would be ringing shortly.

Hei didn't say anything until they reached the empty streets of the warehouse district. There were no emergency lights here; apparently no one had been around to notice the building collapsing.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes," she said. "Just a small cut on the side of my head, but it stopped bleeding."

"That's not what I meant. A contractor like that - they don't stop easily."

He already knew what she'd had to do. "Oh. Yeah. I'm alright. Innocent people were going to be hurt, maybe even killed, if I didn't take care of it. It was exactly what I'd do if I was on duty on any normal day." The emotional shock of it would probably hit her later. For now what mattered was that everyone who she was charged to protect was alive.

Hei's grip around her hand tightened; it almost hurt, but she didn't say anything.

Saitou's car was still where they had left it. When Misaki slid behind the wheel, she had to move the seat up a foot just to be able to touch the pedals. Hei settled into the passenger seat with a tired sigh while she adjusted the mirrors.

"There's a Syndicate safe house just a few miles from here," he said. "You can drop me off there."

Misaki started the engine and pulled out onto the street, her foot automatically trying to find a clutch that wasn't there. "Is that safe?"

"Safe enough. There really isn't another option. I can't go home like this."

"You could come home with me," she said softly.

Hei was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "It's probably not a good idea if I show up there in these clothes anymore. Besides, you have to see to your subordinate first."

Misaki nodded, disappointed. "Stop by my place later, okay? If I'm not back when you get there, just let yourself in." She really ought to get him a key, just for the sake of convenience; but she wasn't quite sure how he would handle such a gift, with all its implications. Especially now.

"Alright."

She relaxed a little, and they drove the rest of the way in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Credit for the discovery that the bar to which Hei takes Havoc in episodes 5&6 does not belong to the Syndicate but is rented by Hei "for his own personal use" goes to the Tumblr DtB community, especially major-victory.


	13. Chapter 13

When Misaki arrived back home, it was to find an empty apartment. Disappointment threatened to overwhelm her, but she forced it away. Hei had promised to stop by; he'd never broken a promise to her. He'd be there soon.

But how soon was soon? All she wanted to do was fall face-first into bed and stay there for a week. But her clothes were covered in dust, and dried blood had left tracks down her cheek; a shower took precedence over sleep.

As she stood beneath the soothing spray, her mind turned over what little she had learned from Hui that night. She'd been right about a connection to Evening Primrose, and her failure to enlist his help in infiltrating that organization was going to set her investigation back quite a bit. But still, the interrogation had yielded two important nuggets of information. First, confirmation that the leader of EPR, UB-001, was indeed the woman known as Amber. The woman with whom Hei had a past connection - and a significant one at that.

She needed to bite the bullet and just talk to Hei about Amber; it was important. And after all, the last time she'd brought up the subject had been early on in their relationship, when they'd been pretending that there was nothing serious between the two of them. It was different now; he would be more willing to have an open discussion, she was sure.

But until she'd spoken with him, there wasn't much use in ruminating on the subject. Misaki then turned her mind to the second missing puzzle piece that she'd obtained that night: when Hui had written _in a steel grip_ , he wasn't simply being poetic as she had assumed. He literally meant _hands_ of steel. And there was only one person in the police that those words could be applied to.

Everyone in the department knew of Hourai's penchant for never taking off his gloves. The most common rumor was that he had some sort of skin disorder or disfiguring burn that he was self-conscious about. Misaki was one of the few who knew the truth: that he'd lost both his hands in a contractor attack just a year or so after the Gates had appeared. It had been a joint mission with Organized Crime; her father had been on the scene, and had told her about it afterward. Hourai's hands had been replaced with robotic prosthetics using newly-discovered Gate-related technology several months later.

She closed her eyes against the sting of the dripping shampoo and combed little pieces of grit out of her hair. It didn't surprise her that the traitor was someone so high up, just as it didn't surprise her that he was in Section Four itself. There had been so many signs - seeing him in conversation with Tsukuda at the charity gala; the fact that the intel on Hui's attack on her apartment had come through him, via Tsukuda; his refusal to open certain cases that she knew in her gut were contractor-related; Hui's escape from holding and the tampered evidence. Hourai had been at the top of her suspect list ever since she'd first learned of the mole's existence.

But the confirmation that her direct superior was part of the Syndicate was like a knife in the gut. She'd had nothing but respect for him as a police officer, and had been proud when he'd chosen her to head up Section Four three years ago. _He said that he'd hand-picked me himself_ , she remembered, shivering in spite of the steam rising in the shower.

She was certain that he was more than just a mere mole; Hourai was not the type of man to be content taking someone else's orders. He was part of the organization's upper hierarchy, without doubt. Superior officer or not, he was working for a criminal organization. He was breaking the law, and it was her duty to arrest him.

But without incontrovertible proof, she didn't dare make a move. Hourai likely wasn't the only Syndicate member that she had to deal with, and it wouldn't be easy to find the others. Kaede might prove helpful. Her father was another potential ally. Kirihara Naoyasu was much more knowledgeable about departmental politics than she was, not to mention more diplomatic. She wasn't entirely sure that he would believe her story; not without solid evidence. But she could still ask questions and gather as much data as possible. And in the meantime, Hei would be passing her whatever information he came across. She could be patient. She had to be.

Misaki shut off the shower and toweled herself dry. Her hair was a heavy weight down her back; squeezing out as much water as she could, she twisted it into a single, long braid. She hated going to bed with wet hair, but that would have to do for tonight; drying it would take more time than she wanted to spend. The cut on her temple fortunately wasn't so deep as to need stitches, and it was far enough back from her face that her hair would mask the bandage - that would save her a lot of explaining on Monday morning.

After putting on her pajamas, she wrapped Kanami's brace around her arm and crossed the hall to the bedroom. When she entered, her reading lamp was on, casting a low, warm glow throughout the room. Hei was lying across the bed, eyes closed and one arm beneath his head. He looked fresh-scrubbed and exhausted, but the only concession that he'd made to the lateness of the hour was to unbutton his shirt; it gaped open to reveal his flat stomach.

Misaki paused in the doorway, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. There was something unbearably cute about the way his jaw went slack when he was asleep. Despite spending several nights a week in the same bed, she so rarely saw him like this; he was such a light sleeper. If she had to get up in the middle of the night, the slightest movement of the mattress would wake him, and she would return to bed to find him patiently waiting to wrap his arms around her once more. Cocooned in his embrace, she would invariably fall asleep again before he did.

As Misaki quietly entered the bedroom and neared the bed, she realized that the discoloration just brushing his collarbone that she had initially taken for a shadow was in fact the beginning of a bruise - a nasty-looking bruise. He'd been moving somewhat stiffly on their way back to the car, but had passed it off as tiredness. She frowned to herself; Saitou had done the same thing, claiming that the blood running down his leg was no big deal and that a visit to the emergency room was unnecessary. Did they think that she couldn't handle seeing people she cared about in pain?

Stepping softly, she moved around to the side of the bed that was opposite his injured shoulder and seated herself on the edge of the mattress. It was true that she hated to see him in any sort of pain; but that didn't mean that she couldn't give him what comfort she could. She reached out and brushed his cheek with her fingertips.

Hei reacted immediately. Before his eyes had even opened he'd grabbed her forearm and forced her down onto the bed as he twisted above her, his face a mask of cold anger.

"Hei!" Misaki gasped out in surprise and pain; but she didn't dare try to fight back.

At her exclamation, his expression abruptly cleared. "Misaki?" he asked, eyes widening. "Damn, I'm sorry - I - " He glanced down at his hands pinning her arm to the mattress and let go as quickly as if he'd been burned.

She sat up as he rolled off of her, her heart pounding, and snagged the back of his shirt before he could leave the bed. "Hei, wait, it's alright."

He paused in his motion, but didn't turn to face her. His shoulders hunched. "It's not alright."

"You were asleep; I shouldn't have woken you so unexpectedly." She moved her hand to his uninjured shoulder, squeezing gently. He let her guide him back down onto the mattress, but the tension never left his shoulders.

"You shouldn't have to worry about things like that," he said, closing his eyes again.

Misaki trailed her hand down the center of his chest, then lightly traced the yellow edge of his bruise. It was already darkening to blue near his shoulder. "Did you take some aspirin?"

"Mm," he said, in what she took to be assent.

She leaned across him to set her glasses down on the bedside table, then lay down beside him, resting her head on his chest. Hei curled his arm around her.

"I brought some extra bullets to replace the ones you used tonight," he told her. "Saitou needs two; make sure he gets them."

"Saitou? What did he need to shoot?"

"Lock on the door."

"Oh." She had been half-expecting to hear that Saitou had taken a couple of shots at Hei, despite that they seemed to be getting along by the time the three of them had met up. "I used four on the contractor."

His hand was warm on her belly; she laid her own atop his and pressed him closer. It didn't feel quite like the first time that she had killed someone. Hei's previous words to her had never left her mind: she'd done the right thing, and knowing that made it…not okay, but easier to deal with. Having him beside her helped.

"I'm sorry about what happened tonight," she told him. "At your building, I mean. I thought we'd lost that contractor, but he had a doll working with him."

"It's not important."

They lay quietly for several minutes. "Can I ask you something?" she said at last.

"Mm," he said again.

"What were you renting that room for?"

The muscles in his arm tensed. "You probably don't want to hear it."

"I want you to tell me," she stated. "Whether I want to hear it is beside the point."

Hei was silent for a long moment, breathing deeply in a way that she recognized as him trying to keep his emotions level. "Whenever I'm assigned to a city for more than a few months, I find a place like that. It's nice to have somewhere to go that isn't under the Syndicate's eye."

That didn't sound so bad. Which meant that he was avoiding telling her the full truth. "And?" she prompted, unable to keep the annoyed tone out of her voice.

He exhaled evenly. "And sometimes I need a place where I can take people who might have information about my sister."

"Did you find someone like that here?" she asked, a slight chill running through her blood.

"Carmine. A contractor I worked with in South America."

He'd been right; she really didn't want to hear it. But she needed to. "Did she know anything?"

"She'd lost her memory along with her powers after Heaven's Gate disappeared; but she wanted to help me. We were heading to the Gate when she was killed by another contractor."

Misaki sat up abruptly. "Wait, you're talking about Havoc? The forfeiter?"

He shrugged, opening his eyes at last. "I knew her as Carmine."

"Why were you taking her to the Gate? Hei, her star was becoming active the closer she got; she could have leveled half the city if she'd gotten her powers back!"

"She was terrified of regaining her powers," Hei said, looking away. "But going to the Gate was the only way for her to remember. I promised to kill her if she lost control; before she could hurt anyone."

Misaki frowned; that was a huge risk, even for family. It was exactly the sort of thing that he would do, though. She settled back down beside him. "I'm sorry she died before you could learn anything about your sister."

"I'm sorry she died," Hei said, surprising Misaki. He sounded genuinely remorseful for the contractor's death, not just what it meant for his mission. The autopsy report had confirmed that November 11's icicles had killed Havoc; but it had also noted several recently broken fingers. Misaki knew full well the lengths that he would go to for his sister…but actually seeing the results of that drive were sobering. "She probably would have preferred it to whatever the Syndicate had planned for her," he continued.

The Syndicate. Well, that explained how, despite Section Four and MI-6's best efforts at secrecy, Hei's team had known exactly where to ambush the little caravan. Hourai had engineered the entire thing - on both sides.

"Hei, will you promise me something?"

"What?"

She squeezed his hand. "If anything happens to me because of this investigation into the Syndicate…I don't want you to break any fingers for me."

He was silent for a long moment before he said, "I don't think I can promise that."

"I know what I'm getting into," she said. "I don't want you hurting people because of choices that I make."

He rubbed his hand across his face tiredly. "Only if you promise me something first."

"What?" she asked cautiously.

"Stay away from Amber."

Misaki stiffened. "Why would I do that?"

Hei's arm tightened around her. "She's dangerous," he said. "More than any other contractor."

"She's the leader of what amounts to basically a terrorist organization, and she knows something about the Syndicate - of course I'm going to track her down!" Misaki pushed herself up so that she could glare down at him. How could he think that she would agree to just drop a vital case like that?

"Leave it," Hei said. He started to rise up onto his elbows, then grimaced briefly and sank back down to the mattress. "No matter what you do, she'll see you coming."

"Didn't you tell Hui that she couldn't see into the future?"

He glanced away. "She can't. But she _can_ rewind time to undo any event that doesn't fit with her plans. You don't have a chance against her."

"We don't even know what her plans _are_ ," Misaki pointed out. "Everything that I've seen so far suggests that EPR is opposed to the Syndicate. I don't exactly approve of their methods, but maybe if I was able to meet with her -"

"She'd tell you what you want to hear, then stab you in the back as soon as you cease being useful," Hei interrupted.

"Is that an objective analysis - or will you admit that you might be a little bit biased against your old lover?"

His eyes widened in surprise.

"I _am_ a detective, you know," Misaki snapped. "It wasn't that hard to figure out."

"Oh." He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "It doesn't matter. She took my sister away from me; she tried to take Yin. If she knows about you, she won't hesitate to hurt you just to get to me."

Misaki thought back to that night when she'd followed Hei to the shrine, and saw him speaking with Amber. One moment she'd topped the hill and drawn her gun; the next, the handful of people who'd been there had vanished without a trace. A contractor freezing time would explain that weird gap. But if Amber had truly wanted to harm Hei, how had he gotten away? And why hadn't she done anything to Misaki? She would have had plenty of time to go through Misaki's pockets and find her police ID, yet she'd just walked away as if Misaki didn't pose any kind of threat. All that had happened was that Misaki's glasses had been moved to the top of her head. It was the kind of careless, juvenile prank that any typical contractor wouldn't even consider. But it hadn't actually _hurt_ anything.

"Are you sure you're looking at things the right way?" Misaki ventured. "I mean, until you know what it is she's after -"

"I don't care what she wants. I'm going to find her, and after she tells me where my sister is, I'm going to kill her. That's all there is to it."

"Hei, what exactly did she do to you?" Misaki asked quietly. She doubted that he would go so far as to kill a woman who he used to care for; but the bitterness in his voice was impossible to miss.

He wasn't meeting her eyes. "I told you."

She sighed. "It's alright if you don't trust me enough with the whole truth yet. I'm not going anywhere."

"It's not - " Hei began, but Misaki overrode him.

"I'm too tired to argue about this now. I can't promise to not pursue any leads that help me do my job, and you should know that by now. You also know how I feel about people getting hurt. There is no compromise here."

He didn't answer, and Misaki didn't push. Instead, she reached past him and turned off the reading lamp. Hei pulled her close when she settled back, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Within a few minutes, his breathing was slow and even; Misaki lay awake for a long time.


	14. Chapter 14

It took Misaki a full day to decide whether or not to tell Saitou and Kanami what she had discovered about Hourai's alignments. She trusted them both, of course, but Kanami had very little personal interaction with the Director, and Saitou's abilities at bluffing were abysmal. In the end, she decided that they needed to know, for their own safety. The three of them met up to discuss the situation over coffee Sunday afternoon.

Saitou couldn't speak from the shock; Kanami merely shrugged and said, "I never did like the smug bastard."

He was a bit smug, Misaki supposed. She'd never really thought about it before, attributing his aloofness to a professional demeanor.

"It's more important than ever that we keep what we know as quiet as possible," Misaki said. "With Hourai right there in the office…the wrong word at the wrong time could be disastrous. Saitou, if he ever gives you an order or any kind of information directly, make sure you find a way to tell me, no matter how innocuous it sounds. If the Syndicate suspects that I'm getting close to them, they may try to compartmentalize intel and separate me from my team."

Saitou nodded, looking grim.

"I have some news as well," Kanami said, rolling an unlit cigarette between her fingers. They were sitting at the cafe's outdoor terrace; even so, and despite her visible agitation, the Astronomics chief had yet to take out her lighter. Misaki took a long sip of her peppermint tea to help settle her own stomach.

"What is it?"

"I was digging through the logs to try and figure out who rerouted those surveillance specters Friday night, and I found Astronomics' mole."

Misaki sat up a bit straighter. "Who is it? Mizuta?"

"Nope. Hanada."

"Hanada? But - isn't she your assistant? The one who's been helping you with the dolls?"

Kanami nodded, raising her cigarette to her lips only to lower it again. "Yeah. She is our top programmer; it wouldn't be hard for her to figure out how to give herself supervisor access to the system."

"But couldn't it be someone else, using her login credentials?" Misaki had met the timid young lab tech a few times; it was hard to picture her as a spy for the Syndicate.

"Sure - that was what I wanted to believe too. But I checked the access logs against all known instances of tampering: each time data was falsified or systems disrupted, Hanada was on the clock, logged in at her station. She's smart enough to get the information, but too naive to think about covering her tracks. Though honestly, if I hadn't known that a mole existed, it would never have occurred to me to look so closely." Kanami smiled, but it was a strained smile. "I guess the good news is that now I know who to keep an eye on."

"Yeah," Misaki agreed sadly. "And it's probably safe to assume that anything you've discussed with her has made it back to the Syndicate as well."

"They know all about Eunice then," Kanami said, frowning in thought. "Not that that's a huge secret; I've been pretty open about it will all the staff. Though who knows what an organization like that will do with such a novel idea. But apart from Eunice, I haven't told her anything sensitive. Or personal," she added, with a look at Misaki.

Misaki sighed in relief. The Syndicate didn't know about Yin's independence, then. Or at least if they did, it hadn't come from Misaki and Hei inviting Kanami into their trust.

Kanami placed her cigarette between her lips and pulled a lighter out of her pocket; then with a glance at Misaki, replaced it.

"You can smoke if you like," Misaki said, feeling guilty. "We are outside, after all."

But her friend merely shrugged. "It's more of a security blanket than a crutch right now," she said.

Misaki wasn't quite sure what Kanami meant by that; instead of responding, she turned to her subordinate, who'd remained mostly silent throughout the entire discussion.

"Saitou, are you going to be alright at the office tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Don't worry about me, Chief."

"I won't," Misaki said; though she made a mental note to run interference if it ever looked like the Director and Saitou were going to cross paths. Hourai was an expert at reading people; Saitou's poker face had more cracks than a broken mirror.

Fortunately, Monday passed by without incident. Hourai spent the day closeted in his office making phone calls and dealing with paperwork. Misaki's team arrested two contractors, both of whom claimed to belong to EPR; neither of whom had any useful information to divulge. It was beyond frustrating. By the end of the day, all she wanted was to go home and relax with Hei.

On her way to the elevator, however, her phone rang.

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki was late getting home that night, much later than usual.

Hei was camped out at the Denny's that was down the street from her apartment; he'd taken to waiting there if the signal wasn't up when he made his first pass by her building. His usual spot was one table in from the large window facing onto the street, where he could keep an eye on the traffic without being seen too easily. Despite his frequent reminders to her to vary her routine, Misaki always drove by this restaurant on her way home from the office. She claimed that she changed up her initial route every day, and that if anyone managed to stay on her tail after that, she'd spot them.

He hoped she was right. And of course, that still didn't prevent a contractor from lying in wait on this street, busy though it typically was.

The restaurant was only moderately crowded at this time on a Monday night; but just in case anyone got ideas about striking up a casual conversation, Hei had a book open on the table in front of him, angled so that he could read while still watching the traffic outside. It was the book that Misaki had loaned him. Despite his general dislike for fiction, he found himself enjoying it. The plot was a little predictable, but the characters were all clearly divided by lines of good and evil. He could see why Misaki liked it; though he felt a bit guilty for having already read several chapters beyond her bookmark, even though he was pretty sure he knew how it would end: hero rescues love interest; hero kills villain.

However, tonight he was having trouble focusing on the main character's current plight (his True Love having been taken in by the villain's charms, while only he knew the truth of her suitor's murderous nature); he'd nearly finished his usual order of grilled cheese hamburger curry and his stomach was growling. He was beginning to think that he would have to ask for another dish when the bright blue of Misaki's Porsche flashed by his window, bringing with it a flutter of relief.

He waited another half hour to finish his bowl and give her time to get settled; then he stuffed the book into his back pocket and headed up to her apartment. Misaki answered his knock with a tired smile.

"Hi," she said, kissing him lightly as he stepped through the door and removed his shoes.

"Hi." He followed her into the living room, where with disappointment he noted that a mess of files was already spread out across the coffee table. He'd been hoping for a nice quiet evening, one in which she wasn't distracted by her casework and tracking down the Syndicate. But it looked as if those nights were going to be in rare supply from now on. "How was your day?"

She shrugged and settled down on the floor. "Fine. A complete waste of time as far as closing any cases; but at least there were no disasters. What about you - anything interesting happen?"

"No."

Misaki looked mildly annoyed with that answer, so he added, "I spent the day checking on all my weapons caches and sharpening my spare knives. Are you hungry?" he finished as her face paled slightly.

She shook her head as he moved into the kitchen. "No; I got something to eat after work."

Hei paused in the act of pulling out a pot. "You did?" Normally Misaki forgot to eat at all when she was working this late, and would arrive home half-starved. He had taken to always making an extra portion for her to set aside for the nights that he couldn't be there; it was better than her living off of takeout.

"Yeah; Kaede called just as I was leaving the office. He said he had some potential leads on the Syndicate's presence in Intelligence, so I met him for dinner. His information wasn't all that useful, unfortunately." She turned over a leaf of paper and sighed. "Well, who knows; maybe it'll be important in the future."

"Who is Kaede?" He couldn't remember hearing that name before.

Misaki's eyes remained fixed on the files in front of her, but Hei didn't miss the look of guilt that flashed across her face. "Oh. Nakahara Kaede, the man that Kanami and I were sitting with at the Gate Relief Fund dinner. He used to work for Tsukuda Jiro; after EPR's attack on his mentor, he wants answers just as much as I do." She glanced up apologetically. "But feel free to make something for yourself."

Cooking for himself wasn't anywhere near as satisfying as making a meal for them both. But he'd already taken out the pot and some vegetables; he might as well keep going. "Oh. Alright."

Misaki returned to her work while Hei prepared the ingredients for a quick noodle soup. He tried to focus on the smooth, repetitive motion of chopping the vegetables, but found that he kept needing to consciously relax his grip on the knife. Nakahara Kaede. Misaki's former boyfriend. She'd said she'd met him for business, and he believed her; but he'd not yet been able to get the image out his head of the two of them, Misaki looking fantastic in that evening dress, chatting and laughing companionably together while he cleared up their plates.

The pot clanged loudly on the stove when he set it down too hard; Hei inwardly cursed his carelessness as Misaki looked up from her papers.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Fine."

She hesitated. "So, were you able to recall ever meeting Hourai? You said you would think on it."

"No; I told you, the Syndicate is too compartmentalized. The only time I ever see one of the higher-ups is if they're one of my targets." The man in the photo that she'd shown him hadn't looked familiar at all; and he was pretty sure that he'd have noticed and remembered seeing anyone with mechanical hands.

Misaki grimaced a bit at his answer, then settled back against the sofa, crossing her arms. "Well, it was worth a shot. Kaede invited me to Tsukuda's funeral tomorrow. I haven't decided yet if I should go. There's always the chance that Syndicate members will be there, but without any way to identify them it's pointless."

"You should go if it helps you feel better," Hei said quietly as he stirred some noodles into the boiling water. The man's injury and subsequent death had hit her hard, he knew, even though she acted like everything was fine. Like always, she was casting the blame on herself when there was nothing that she could have done. _Hei_ could have done something; he was still wondering whether he should have just ignored his orders and stepped in. But regardless, he hated the thought of her having to go to a funeral alone, under the burden of that guilt.

Even worse was the thought of someone _else_ being there to comfort her.

"I don't know," Misaki said, rubbing her face tiredly. "I think it would a better honor to his memory to put all my effort into finding the organizations who killed him instead: the Syndicate, and Evening Primrose."

Hei's grip tightened reflexively around the stirring spoon at that name. Amber had chosen it just to spite him, he was sure. She didn't even have to be present to torment him.

"Hei," Misaki asked in a tentative tone, "are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me about them? Or their leader?"

The spoon was going to have to be pried loose from his fingers. It was the first time that Misaki had brought up the subject of Amber since Friday night; he'd thought that she had dropped it. He should have known better. "No. There's nothing."

"I can't believe I ever thought you were a good liar."

His head snapped up to find her glaring at him.

"I _know_ that the name 'Evening Primrose' means something to you; you've heard it before. Where?"

"It's a flower in South America," he muttered as he stirred the contents of the pot.

"I know that!" she snapped. "What does it mean? Why name her group after it?"

"It's personal."

"And you can't share anything personal with me?"

It was impossible to miss the hurt in her voice, but those memories were a hell that he refused to drag her into. Hei placed the lid over the pot to let the soup simmer, keeping his gaze fixed on the stove. "Why don't you start, then?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Tell me about your dinner with your ex-boyfriend."

Behind him, Misaki exhaled loudly. "There's nothing to tell. We met at a noodle stand near Section Four headquarters, and he gave me these files -" the sound of paper rustling - "which will probably turn out to be useless. Honestly, I think he just felt like he owed me since I paid for lunch last time. That's all."

"Lunch?" Misaki had never mentioned that.

"When I got the key to Hui's code from Kaede, who found it in his mentor's office. I told you that."

"You never told me how you solved it."

"I didn't? Well, I'm telling you now," she said irritably. "So will you talk to me, or do you need to hear the entire history of my pathetic dating life first?"

Hei finally turned to face her. She was looking away, arms folded, an angry blush on her cheeks. However bad her romantic history was, it couldn't be worse than his. "I'm not going to tell you anything that will help you find Amber," he said quietly.

Misaki's head whipped around, her eyes narrowed in exasperation. "Hei, _please_. I need to know what the Syndicate is after - and right now, it sounds like Amber is the only one who can tell me. Why are you so adamant that I stay away from her?"

"I just want you to be safe."

"My safety is my own responsibility, not yours!"

He knew that; but he didn't care. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt if he had the power to prevent it. "If I thought that Amber would be of any help to you in exposing the Syndicate," he said carefully, "I would help you track her down. If it's even possible to track her down." He'd tried; he'd been trying for five years, but she may as well be a ghost for all the trail she left. "But you can't trust anything she says, and she'll betray you before you can even blink."

"Yes, you've said that - I just wish you trusted me and my judgment a little more," Misaki said softly.

With a slightly unsteady hand, Hei dished out a large bowl of the soup, even though it wasn't quite done. He just needed something to do with his hands. "I do trust you," he said, hoping that his sincerity came through. "And your judgment is probably better than mine. It's just…it's not something I'm ready to talk about. Maybe someday; not tonight."

It was optimistic to think that he'd _ever_ be ready to share that part of his life with Misaki. She knew the bare bones of the story, but telling her about his history with Amber would mean exposing her to that dark side of himself that he kept locked away from his interactions with other people - even his own teammates. They thought they knew the Black Reaper; but in truth they only knew the thin shadow that had escaped South America. Misaki had enough trouble dealing with that pale shade. He couldn't let her see any deeper; better to just let her believe the lie.

He felt her eyes on him as he cleaned up the counters. Normally they did that together after they had both eaten, but he was in no hurry to leave the kitchen.

"That smells delicious," Misaki, her voice still soft but with a little more warmth now.

A flicker of hope darted through his heart. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

"Maybe just a little. You always make so much."

He got down a second bowl and spooned a quarter of the stir-fry into it. "You don't have to eat it all."

Misaki sighed as he settled onto the floor beside her. "I know, I always have way too much - I nearly had to go up a dress size just to find one that fit for last Saturday. But your meals always taste so good that I can't help myself."

"I haven't noticed."

She flashed him a real smile then. "You know you're awfully sweet when you want to be."

She'd probably meant that as a compliment, so he twitched his lips up into a hint of a smile in response; but it didn't prevent the deep ache in his heart.

They ate in silence, until Hei had scraped his bowl clean and Misaki was picking at the bits of noodle that were stuck in hers.

"Is that what your dreams are about?" she asked abruptly.

Hei hesitated. He'd never mentioned any dreams. "What?"

"When you wake up in the middle of the night, shaking. Is it South America, and Amber?"

"Oh. Mostly," he admitted. He'd had that dream again last night. The one in which Amber, smiling coldly and carelessly, cut Misaki's throat with one of his knives - she'd always had a penchant for borrowing them. Misaki had woken Hei out of it, and he'd almost killed her himself.

Again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The remaining chapters will follow closely along with episodes 21-25. Don't worry if you haven't watched the show in a while, as the important stuff will all be here - plus what was really happening, behind the scenes...
> 
> For reference, this chapter takes place three months and one week after the final chapter of Distractions.

The following day, Misaki's team arrested yet another contractor. Astronomics had been predicting an upswing in contractor activity that would last all week, up until the peak of the sun spot cycle. Three contractors in a day and a half; if it got any worse, Misaki wasn't sure that they'd be able to make it to Friday morning. Who knew how many were in the city, between the Syndicate, EPR, and the other criminal organizations, not to mention intelligence agents. Her team was prepared to handle it - but they were only four. Five, if she counted Ootsuka.

This contractor, however, proved to be a bit more interesting than the previous two - aside from the fact that he'd been carrying a homemade bomb. Misaki and Saitou spent their lunch hour interrogating him; she thought that she believed his information, but there was something about his answers that niggled at the back of her mind. That, combined with what she'd heard from the others, set off a train of thought that she couldn't ignore.

"Call a unit to transfer him to secure holding," she told Kouno as she and Saitou exited the interrogation room. "I'm going to make my report to the Director; let me know at once if he says anything else before the car gets here."

"Right, Chief!"

As soon as the door shut behind them, Misaki turned to Saitou and dropped her voice. "I'm going to tell Hourai everything that we learned. But…I think I'm going to try pushing a little."

The detective blanched. "Chief, are you sure that's a good idea?"

She wasn't sure at all. In fact, it could turn out to be monumentally stupid. But she was so tired of simply treading water while the Syndicate ran her city. "It'll be fine," she said.

Hourai's office door was closed. Misaki knocked; a moment later, the Director called her inside. She took a deep breath, then entered, stopping in front of his desk to wait stiffly.

Hourai let her stand for nearly a full minute before finally looking up from his computer. "Yes, Chief Kirihara. Has our suspect said anything of interest?"

Misaki cut straight to the chase. "It looks like they were going to target the American Embassy next," she said.

"Who's _they_?"

"EPR. The same group of contractors that was behind the terrorist bombings. The man we arrested earlier admitted that he was one of their members." She hadn't even needed to ask. Even for a contractor, he had been quite forthcoming with information.

"Any idea who the ringleader might be?" Did Hourai sound more interested than usual? She couldn't tell; he was just as guarded as he always was.

"No, Sir," Misaki lied. "We're still questioning him. But, I'm not sure how much more we're going to be able to get out of him - there are indications that some of the suspect's memories may have been altered." Strange gaps in his story, an inability to recall certain details about how he'd been given his orders; all he could do was repeat the same phrases over again, word for word. It was fairly subtle, and if Misaki hadn't been trained in M.E. technology, she might have missed it. But that fact that M.E. seemed to have been used at all was suspicious in and of itself: very few organizations had access to such high-tech instrumentation. She doubted that EPR did.

She continued, "According to the statements they've sent us, EPR wants the existence of the contractors to be publicly acknowledged. They also want their civil rights guaranteed. You can argue about their methods; but honestly, their objectives aren't that hard to understand. But, all the suspects we've arrested so far have shown the same signs of having had their memories tampered with - and not just ones involving the identity of the ringleader."

Hourai regarded her steadily. "What are you driving at?"

_Okay, time to push._ "Something doesn't feel right - there's something about this compared to their previous attacks. What if a third party is using EPR's activities as a cover for their own?"

"I see," the Director said. The fingers on one hand clenched and unclenched briefly. "That is troubling. In any case, we need to notify the Americans and have them increase their security measures; we'll lend whatever support we can. Go to the Embassy at once. I'll arrange for you to meet with their chief of security, Harris Barnum, to coordinate their response and ours."

"Understood, Sir. I'm on my way." Misaki bowed and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

It was a struggle keep a smile of satisfaction from her expression as she walked to the break room. The Director's reaction had been subtle, but definitely there: he hadn't expected her to come to the conclusion that it wasn't EPR who was planning the bombing at all, but the Syndicate. And he wasn't happy that she had. She was almost sure that that her theory was right - she could feel it in her gut. The question now was - why? What did the Syndicate have to gain by attacking the American Embassy and pinning it on EPR? Maybe she'd get some answers when she met with their security chief.

The rest of her team were gathered around the coffee pot when Misaki entered to make herself a cup of tea. Before she could grab a mug, Saitou intercepted her with a thin sheaf of papers.

"Chief! We just got a report from Astronomics. They ran a check on those three contractors; the ones we arrested. So far, none of their stars appear to have exhibited any activity at the times of the bombings."

Misaki frowned as she took the files and ran her eyes over the text. Kanami's signature was at the bottom, which meant that she'd verified the data before compiling the report. They could trust it. Interesting; the suspects had been telling the truth during their interrogation then, lending even further credence to Misaki's theory. Those contractors had had nothing to do with EPR's attacks, and were most likely agents of the Syndicate - whether they knew it themselves or not.

"You know," Kouno was saying, "it could be that these serial bombings are having an effect on the readings. I mean, this is even more abnormal than usual."

Matsumoto grunted. "If you ask me, it's all related to those garbage frequencies. And the sun spot cycle."

"You mean Garfield?" Saitou said. "They're called Garfield frequencies."

"Actually, it's Garking," Kouno muttered.

Misaki barely heard their conversation. Kanami had explained the significance of the sun spot cycle to her several times before, but she'd never been able to get a good grasp on the technicalities. All she cared about was the practical effect. Each of their suspects had been antsy, agitated almost; unusual for contractors. The third had attempted to explain it when she questioned him: there was something new about the Gate that was urging him, almost compelling him to use his powers in riskier and riskier ways. The irrationality of it bothered him, but at the same time he couldn't ignore that drive. If all contractors were on edge like that, it would explain the recent increase in activity. She wondered if Hei -

"Something bothering you?"

Misaki looked up, startled, into Saitou's concerned gaze. "It's nothing," she said. "I'm fine." She couldn't explain anything to him in front of the others, and she certainly couldn't share any thoughts that might make her team uneasy; they needed to be on top form this week.

"We've got three more days," Misaki said, addressing them all. "After that, the sun spot cycle will be over. If the pattern holds, we can expect a decline in contractor activity after that. Until then - stay sharp."

But first, they had the American Embassy to deal with.

~~~~o~~~~

"They don't trust us one bit, do they," Saitou observed as he and Misaki were escorted out the embassy gates.

Misaki was still seething after her interview with Harris Barnum. "I expected some resistance, but that guy's going to be real trouble." That whole visit had been pointless. She wondered offhand if Barnum worked for the Syndicate, or if he was just being an obstructionist for the hell of it.

"So now what?" Saitou began. Then he looked past her, and his eyes widened. "Look, it's him!"

Misaki turned, her heart skipping a beat. Why would Hei - but it wasn't Hei. It was Jack Simon.

Motioning for Saitou to wait where he was, Misaki approached the MI-6 agent. He was looking dapper as ever in a crisp white suit; hard to believe that he'd been nearly torn apart in a bombing just a few weeks ago.

"You've already recovered?" she asked, slightly distracted by her reflection in his mirror-like sunglasses. She hated not being able to see a person's eyes when she was talking to them.

Simon gave her a half smile. "As you can see."

"Glad to hear it." She'd missed her interactions with him, she realized. Even for a contractor he was a bit strange, but he always kept her on her toes. "So, what brings you here?"

"I've received intelligence suggesting that our recent string of bombings is about to get longer."

So, probably not a coincidence that he'd met her outside the American Embassy, then. But why warn her when it was obvious that she already knew? Although, if MI-6 assumed that it would be EPR behind this attack as well, that might explain it. "Look," she said, trying to keep her tone light, "I know you guys have taken some hits lately; and I understand that you don't want to sit around doing nothing. But you need to leave this to us."

"I'm just here for the show; I thought this would be a good spot to watch the explosion from, that's all."

Misaki bridled. Surely he couldn't be serious…

"That was a joke," Simon clarified, his smile turning a bit smug. Misaki resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Completely ignoring her censure, he continued, "Actually, I received some very suggestive information regarding the American Embassy, and I thought perhaps I should drop by here and share it with you. As a way of saying _thank you_ for the last time."

"What kind of information?" she asked curiously. She would take whatever she could get, at this point.

"Have you ever heard of a scientist named Robert Schroeder?"

Misaki frowned. "Yes, he was involved in Gate research, wasn't he? He made some kind of breakthrough and it was in all the newspapers for a while." She couldn't remember what that had been; Kanami would probably know. "Although, I can't recall hearing anything about him lately."

"That's because until recently, they had him isolated under maximum security at Pandora."

"But why?" Pandora; that was odd. It was a high-security facility, of course, but Simon almost made it sound as if the scientist was under house arrest.

The contractor shrugged lightly. "EPR was after him; I don't know why. But two nights ago, they finally succeeded in abducting him."

Something in her brain clicked. "Wait a minute - you're not saying that the American Embassy is involved somehow?"

"I'm not saying it - yet. But a VIP like Schroeder had a thread put on him by a doll. And the place where that thread got cut was…" he trailed off, but Misaki was easily able to guess how that sentence ended.

"Incredible," she murmured distractedly, her mind racing.

"Isn't it? So, we really can't rule out the possibility that a member of EPR is hiding somewhere in the American Embassy." He paused, regarding her intently from behind his sunglasses. "I expect you already know this: but February, the leader of the Evening Primrose, used to be an agent of ours at one time, before she sold us out."

"Is that a fact?" So, Amber had betrayed more than one organization?

"Hence my interest."

If the Americans were hiding Dr. Schroeder, that could explain their reluctance to let her team on the premises. Was Amber herself there, even now? And if the Syndicate was indeed behind the planned bombing, what was their purpose? Maybe they wanted to capture Amber; maybe they were after Dr. Schroeder themselves. But why? What did the scientist -

A finger poked her forehead and she jumped, startled out of her thoughts. "Hey!" she exclaimed, rubbing at the spot.

Simon smiled. "Oh, I beg your pardon; I was afraid your face was going to freeze like that." She scowled at him, only for his expression to turn sober. "Misaki…"

"Yeah, what is it?" _Asshole_.

The contractor removed his glasses, exposing a pair of ice blue, serious eyes. "From here on out, don't trust anyone. You'll have to rely on your instincts and act accordingly. Well then, until we meet again."

Without another word, he abruptly turned and walked off. Misaki stared after him. That had certainly been one of their stranger interactions.

Saitou, who had obediently hung back throughout the conversation, now ran up to join her. "What did he want?" the detective asked in a low voice.

Misaki folded her arms, still watching the retreating figure. "I'm not sure."

She filled Saitou in on everything that the contractor had told her, save for that last comment.

Saitou frowned pensively as he took in the information. "So what do you think?"

What _did_ she think? Or rather, what were her instincts telling her? One: that the Syndicate was planning on attacking the embassy. Two: if Simon was right about Dr. Schroeder being held there by EPR, then the attack was just a cover for the Syndicate to retrieve the scientist. Retrieve - _not_ abduct. She'd seen both Hourai and Tsukuda speaking with one of Pandora's high-ranking project managers, Eric Nishijima, at the charity gala. It could have been coincidence, but she had a gut feeling that the Syndicate was firmly entrenched within that supposedly neutral research organization. A war had been fought over Heaven's Gate - who was to say that the victors hadn't already claimed its counterpart? That led to _three_ : whatever project Dr. Schroeder was working on was integral to the Syndicate's plans, and they wanted to keep that information from EPR.

"I think we need to be at the embassy tonight," she said.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket; she pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was a text from an unknown number. There was no message, only a string of digits that began with 201. Eyes widening, she strode to her car, Saitou keeping pace beside her.

Once she reached her Porsche, she pulled her purse out of the trunk and fished around for a pen and a scrap of something to write on. A pen was the only thing that she found. "Do you have any paper?"

The detective pulled a small notebook from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Misaki flipped to a blank page, resting it against the roof of the car to write. She copied down the numbers from the text, then pulled up the cheat sheet that she had saved to the notes app in her phone. Hei claimed that this was a simple code and would be easy for her to memorize, but this was the first time he'd actually used it with her since they'd put it together last week. All that she could remember was that the 201 at the beginning meant that the message was from him. Which was obvious.

She began matching up the rest of the numbers with her key. The four meant _message dropped_ ; the following digits would be the location, which was…she scrolled down. _Car_.

"What the hell?" she muttered to herself, glancing up and down the street. There was no sign of Hei; but, as unobtrusively as she could manage, she reached under the right rear wheel well and felt a small folded up piece of paper taped inside.

"Chief, what is it?"

"A message from Hei. Come on, get in the car."

Misaki waited until they had both sat down and shut the doors before unfolding the little square to reveal Hei's untidy scrawl. " _Tonight_ ," she read aloud, " _Bmbng. A. Em. Don't worry_."

"How does he know about it?" Saitou asked.

"Probably because he's the one doing it," Misaki sighed. Still, he _had_ warned her ahead of time, which she appreciated. And - "At least this confirms my theory: the Syndicate is the organization behind this attack."

"What does he mean by _don't worry_ \- how can we not worry about a bombing!"

"He means that he's going to try his best not to hurt anyone," Misaki said confidently. "He has to obey his orders; and unfortunately, so do we. We can't legally cross onto foreign soil, not without permission. Which Barnum is refusing to give us." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "Whatever the Syndicate's plan is, the bomb is just a diversionary tactic; otherwise Hei wouldn't be able to promise not to hurt anyone. There's no purpose to it otherwise."

Of course, he might have more instructions, and he'd just chosen not to share them with her - but she doubted it. When it came to the Syndicate, so far Hei had been completely forthcoming with information; just as he'd promised he would be. She trusted him, despite that she was still frustrated from last night. Too bad they wouldn't have time to talk face to face before the operation.

Saitou nodded in agreement, and Misaki couldn't help smiling to herself. Whatever had happened between the two of them last week when that warehouse had caved in, it seemed that they had been able to put their differences aside.

"Alright," she said, pocketing the note and starting the car. "Let's get back to the office and prep for tonight."


	16. Chapter 16

Hei observed the American Embassy from his perch in a tall tree across the street. It was much like the Chinese Embassy: a central building with a small cluster of outbuildings and an imposing, encircling wall. Cameras and guards looked like the extent of their security.

"There seem to be a lot more guards than usual," Huang's voice said over the radio. "Here too. Whatchu think?"

It was true; a line of uniformed security guards stretched away along the outside of the wall, their eyes fixed on the street and beyond. Not one was looking up.

Hei hoped that Misaki had gotten his message, and that it had made sense; he hadn't wanted to risk putting too many details down on paper. But the increase in security was a good sign that she'd not only understood his shorthand, but had been able to act on the information. He wished that he knew anything about _why_ the Syndicate wanted to bomb the Americans, if only so that he could have something to tell Misaki when she inevitably asked.

In any case, a few extra guards was nothing to worry about.

"Not a problem," he said shortly.

"I'll leave the timing to you, then."

Hei turned to his partner. "Ready?"

The cat contractor regarded him steadily. "Any time. I'm merely the diversion; you're the one who has to sneak in and blow up the embassy."

Hei handed the ball-like smoke bomb to Mao, who took it in his teeth. Their orders hadn't specified a bloodless mission, but he thought that the plan he'd worked out with Huang and Mao would at least minimize the casualties.

Well, one way to find out.

"Let's go."

~~~~o~~~~

It looked like the Americans had at least heeded her cautions, even if they were still refusing to involve her team, Misaki thought as she surveyed the embassy gates from the confines of Kouno's Nissan.

She'd directed him to park right out front - albeit across the street, as diplomacy dictated. Here, her team would be clearly visible to both the Americans and to Hei's team; plus, they'd be out of Hei's way. At the Chinese Embassy, he'd gone in through the front, but she doubted that he would do that tonight. The Americans were _expecting_ an attack, after all.

After much debate and moral turmoil, she and Saitou had come to the conclusion that they ought to let the Syndicate's attack succeed. Not only did she want to avoid having a face-off with the Black Reaper in front of witnesses, but she had two important goals tonight: first, to prevent casualties. Second, find Dr. Schroeder and any EPR members that might be using the embassy as cover. She trusted Hei's promise to keep anyone from getting hurt, but she wanted to be on hand to lend any support that she could. As for the second goal, their best chance was to get inside the embassy itself. And to do that, they needed an excuse.

An excuse like a bombing.

She sighed to herself and, maintaining a steady scan of the embassy wall, unwrapped the meat bun that Saitou passed to her.

"Saitou, what is all this junk?" Kouno protested from the driver's seat.

Plastic crinkled as Saitou pulled another bun and a bottle of milk out of the bag. "It's not junk, it's fuel - this is all standard equipment for a stakeout! Come on."

As Misaki chewed the bun, she had to agree. It was much better than the greasy fast food that he'd brought to the warehouse stakeout.

"Standard equipment. Right," Kouno muttered. "That stuff'll kill you."

"Fine, you can starve. Chief, you want his?"

Misaki crammed the last of the bun into her mouth and chugged the milk, then held out her hand. "Give it to me."

"Yeah, sure!" Despite his surprised tone, Saitou handed her Kouno's portion. She really shouldn't be eating a second helping - she'd had a big bowl of leftover soup at lunch - but the combination of meat bun and milk were exactly what she'd been craving; until she'd taken a bite, she hadn't even realized it.

"Where did you even find bottled milk in this day and age?" Kouno was saying.

"Oh, get with it - bottles are better for the environment! Have you ever recycled?"

Misaki automatically tuned out their bickering. They'd been parked out here since nightfall, which had been nearly an hour ago. How long before Hei made his move? He'd probably use some kind of distraction to draw the guards away, like he'd had her do with the flare in the car's gas tank at the Chinese Embassy, then sneak over the wall in the confusion. Then, if everything went as she was hoping it would -

Something in the corner of her vision caught her attention. Misaki snapped her gaze to the left - a cloud of pale smoke was beginning to rise just beyond the protruding gatehouse. "Look!"

"Damn!" Saitou swore as they leapt out of the car, meat buns and bottled milk forgotten.

Security guards dashed along the wall and disappeared around the corner, heading for the smoke. The front gate was practically empty now; only two men were left in the guard booth, looking vigilant but worried. It would be the perfect time for an attack, especially if the back wall was just as vacant.

Misaki was the first to reach the gate, the others right on her heels. On the CCTVs inside the booth, guards were clustered on the sidewalk watching something burn in the street beyond the embassy's boundary. Several radios were squawking unintelligibly.

"Chief Kirihara, Public Security Bureau Section Four, Foreign Affairs," she said in one long breath and held her police ID out to the guard who came to the window. "Please contact Harris Barnum and tell him that I need to speak with him immediately."

The guard gave her an impatient look, and for a moment Misaki was worried that she hadn't gotten the English quite correct and he hadn't understood her. But then he said, "Mr. Barnum is a little busy at the moment. Please come back an-"

"I'm sure he is!" Misaki snapped. "But this is a matter of public security; I'm not leaving until I've spoken with him." She planted her feet on the sidewalk and crossed her arms. Saitou and Kouno took up similar positions on either side of her.

After a moment's hesitation, the guard wisely decided to pass the buck, and picked up the phone.

~~~~o~~~~

The diversion had done its work: all of the guards that had been stationed along the portion of the wall across from Hei's position had rushed around the corner towards the smoke bomb. Getting over the wall was a simple matter.

"I'm in," Hei said, landing softly in a crouch on the shadowed embassy lawn.

"Right," Huang said. "Yin."

The doll's voice was soft but clear in his ear. "Proceed straight 20 meters form your present position. There are two guards at the entrance to the building in front. Swing around to the right."

Hei followed her directions to the letter, without question. It always amazed him how quickly she could integrate the input from her specter in order to lay out his path for him; and she'd only improved since they'd begun working together.

"Take the next corner. The window of the first room is open. Wait."

Hei froze right at the edge of the corner and flattened himself against the wall, listening. Quiet footsteps faded into the night.

"It's clear; go."

The casual meeting room beyond the open window was dark and empty; perfect. Hei pulled the small bomb out of his gear bag. Normally he built his own explosives - the Syndicate had schooled him in the basics, while Amber had taught him a few tricks and nuances - but for this mission, he'd been provided with the device. It looked homemade; hopefully it had been put together correctly. The last thing he needed was a bomb going off in his face.

Hei positioned the device against an exterior wall. It would do a lot of damage there, but the grounds were spacious and there was less chance that a passerby would be caught in the blast radius than if it were further in. He pressed the button on the timer.

"It's set for five minutes."

"Copy that," Huang answered. "Get out of there."

Hei dashed across the room to a pair of doors that would presumably lead into a hallway; just as he was reaching for the handle, a voice directly on the other side of the doors said, "Who are you? Wh -" The man's next question was cut off by a choking gargle, and suddenly light was spilling in through several irregular holes in the wood.

Hei placed his eye to one of the holes and peered out into the hallway just in time to see the body of a guard slide down the door in front of him and collapse onto the floor. A man with distinctively pointed ears and blood running down his fingertips stood several feet away watching a second guard die. A nasty burn scar marred the left side of his face.

_Wei_. Hei had known that the contractor had survived their first encounter; he'd not expected to see him again. What was he even doing in the embassy - had the Americans hired him?

Wei turned towards Hei's door. Hei ducked back, but not fast enough; the contractor had probably seen his motion through the hole. Without waiting to find out, Hei straightened and ran down the length of the room. He'd nearly reached the last window when the door slammed open behind him.

Slowly, Hei turned back to face the contractor. He had no desire to fight such a tough opponent, but it didn't look like he would have a choice. He shifted into a defensive stance, ready to dodge a flick of blood.

A self-satisfied smile was creeping across the other contractor's face. "I didn't think I'd run into you so soon," Wei said. "I'm so glad I decided to join up with Amber."

Hei's eyes narrowed behind his mask. _Amber_.

~~~~o~~~~

After a wait of several minutes, the chief of security himself exited the embassy's main building and strode up the path to the gate, flanked by several more guards. He smiled somewhat thinly through the tall metal bars.

"Mr. Barnum," Misaki exclaimed as soon as he was in speaking distance, "my team is here to provide your embassy any assistance you may need in searching the grounds -"

The American held up a hand. "We appreciate your generous offer, Chief Killihari. But there's no need; we have everything under control."

A vein was throbbing in Misaki's temple. "With respect, Mr. Barnum, your embassy is on the target list of a dangerous terrorist organization -"

"I'm telling you again," Barnum interrupted, "there's nothing to worry about; I'm sure it was just a prank. The smoke bomb went off _outside_ the embassy gates, which makes it your problem. Not ours."

Was Barnum himself working for the Syndicate, Misaki wondered, to be so dead set on keeping her team out? Or was he just an incompetent bureaucrat? Practically, it made no difference. "That bomb was most likely a diversion," she pressed. "Now that all of your men are outside, there's a much higher probability of an attack!" By now there had been more than enough time for Hei to get over the rear wall and plant a bomb on the premises; hopefully all of the guards _were_ outside.

"Oh, spare me -"

A ground-shaking explosion cut the security chief off mid-sentence. The color drained from his face as he and his guards turned to see the huge plume of black smoke rising above the central building.

"Get Fire and Rescue down here!" Misaki ordered as the American guards on the street raced towards the embassy gates.

"Right!" Saitou and Kouno sprinted back to the radio in the car without another word.

Barnum raised both hands in a placating gesture, casting a worried look over his shoulder. "It's only an accident, I'm sure of it!"

"Mr. Barnum!" Misaki exclaimed in disbelief. _Incompetent bureaucrat it is, then_.

"Don't let any of them in for any reason!" Barnum told the guards that he'd brought with him, then turned and ran across the ground towards the smoke.

Inwardly fuming, Misaki turned her back on the American guard detail, then pulled out her phone and dialed the Director. He answered after the first ring. "It's Kirihara," she said. "I'm sorry, but they got past us."

"What's the situation inside?" Hourai asked, sounding completely unruffled.

"I don't know; they won't let us in." She took a deep breath. "Sir, I have a favor to ask you: could you use your personal authority to allow us to enter the embassy as a public security measure?"

There was a beat before Hourai answered. "What?"

"There will be more casualties if we don't act quickly; never mind the fact that we're already losing potential leads." If Dr. Schroeder was indeed being held inside, the more time that passed, the greater the chance that EPR could whisk him away. Either that, or whatever team the Syndicate was sending in would beat them - and her - to the scientist.

"Understood," the Director said. "This is going to take a few minutes." Without another word, he hung up the phone.

Over the next several minutes, the chaos only increased. Security guards rushed in and out through the main gate; Fire and Rescue arrived quickly, but it took another argument with Barnum before he would give her any information on the casualties inside. Even then, he refused to allow the Japanese paramedics access to the grounds, insisting that the victims be brought out to the street instead. To Misaki's vast relief, the injuries so far seemed to be limited to mild smoke inhalation. She would never forgive herself if anyone was seriously hurt when she had had the ability to prevent it - Barnum notwithstanding.

A horn blared as traffic began to congest in the street outside the gates, as a steady stream of cars attempted to evacuate the premises. "Come on," Misaki called to Kouno, "we've got to get the injured cleared out! Keep it moving!"

Her subordinate waved a hand in acknowledgment, then pounded on the hood of a car to get the driver's attention.

_If only I could get in there_ , Misaki thought to herself, watching a pair of guards help a coughing man through the now wide-open gates. Then a flash of white caught her eye. _What does Simon think he's doing_? The British contractor had slipped through the entrance in the confusion and was walking boldly up the path towards the main building.

Misaki glanced down at her phone. Ten minutes had elapsed, and she still hadn't heard back from Hourai. Was he stalling her on purpose? If she didn't get inside soon, she wouldn't have a prayer at finding the doctor. She looked at the embassy again; Simon had vanished inside.

Technically, it _was_ trespassing on foreign soil. But Simon hadn't seemed bothered by that fact. Hei was somewhere inside as well. Before she could come to her senses and think about what exactly it was she was about to do, Misaki darted through the gate and onto the embassy grounds.

It was eerily silent away from the street. A smoky haze hung high in the air, but it wasn't getting any worse; the explosive that Hei had set off must not have been the type that would start any fires. Few injuries, little damage - definitely a diversion, then. She had yet to find out exactly what for.

The path that she was on led to a modest door, through which Misaki entered a not-so-modest foyer. A large staircase swept up to her right, and another descended to a basement level on her left. She listened carefully. There was chatter and the noise of general motion coming from the floor above, while the sound of steady, confident footsteps was disappearing below. That would be Simon, then. She took a deep breath, then followed cautiously behind him.

Once out of sight of the ground floor, the staircase became less decorative and more utilitarian. It was dark, with only the occasional fluorescent bulb to light the way. The stairs levels out into a concrete hallway lined with storage closets and closed doors. Misaki had lost sight of Simon, but none of the doors or alcoves looked as if they had been opened recently. She continued down the corridor until she reached a pair of solid-looking metal doors at the far end. Some kind of panic room, perhaps?

Drawing her gun, Misaki used one hand to cautiously test the handle. It turned. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then pushed open the door and stepped quickly into the large room beyond.

It was empty.

Empty, except for a white suit - complete with shoes - lying on the ground directly in front of the door. Several yards away was a chair, restraining straps dangling from its sides and and an empty orange jumpsuit draped across the seat. Both sets of clothing looked as if their occupants had simply vanished, and the clothes had fallen in place.

Misaki lowered her weapon slightly and took a few steps towards the chair. A contractor could have caused Simon's and the jumpsuit's owner (Dr. Schroeder?) to disappear. Where had they gone? Was the contractor still -

The sound of many running boots echoed in the corridor behind her. Misaki spun to see a troop of heavily-armored and armed soldiers burst into the room and spread out around her. A row of automatic weapons was trained directly at her center of mass.

"Drop the gun and put your hands behind your head!" the lead soldier ordered.

Misaki's heart raced. She complied, moving slowly, and called out, "I'm Section Chief Kirihara, Public Security Division, Foreign Affairs. Please identify yourselves!"

As the soldiers closed in, the first man answered coolly, "Pandora."

She started. "Pandora?!"

"Don't move!" One of the soldiers grabbed her jacket at the neck and shoved her down. With her hands behind her head and nothing to break her fall, she hit the ground hard. Someone cuffed her wrists roughly, while more hands rifled through her pockets. Misaki turned her head in an attempt to see what was going on, but the cold metal barrel of the soldier's weapon forced her to still. "I said, don't move!" the man ordered again, pressing the gun even closer.

Misaki silently cursed to herself. _I am such an idiot_.

~~~~o~~~~

"Any sign of him?" were the words with which Huang greeted Hei when he arrived at the rendezvous, a rundown motel room just a few blocks from the American Embassy.

Hei shook his head and pulled his gloves off one finger at a time. "Are you sure I shouldn't have waited?"

Huang grunted and continued his pacing. "Place was crawling with security; no point in both of you getting caught. Mao's smart; he'll clam up and hide under a bush until the heat dies down, like any normal cat would do."

Despite his words, Huang actually sounded worried about their teammate. Hei was worried as well. His partner was an expert at keeping a low profile, and had remained outside the embassy; it was unlikely that the Americans had caught him, and there was no reason for a logical contractor like Mao to have disappeared like this. According to Huang, Mao had muttered _Hei sure is taking long enough_ sometime after the bomb had gone off; after that, silence.

Hei leaned against the wall and folded his arms, too restless to sit. He needed to be back out in the city, looking for Mao. Looking for Amber. His blood had been boiling ever since Wei had mentioned her name.

"He's not at the embassy," Yin said quietly from her seat on the edge of the bed.

Both Hei and Huang looked at her. "How do you know that?" Huang asked. "It's not like the place is covered in water; you can't look anywhere you can't see."

"I put a trace on him. And Hei. Before the mission."

That had been smart thinking on her part. And not easy to do. Most dolls could handle sending out a specter _or_ laying a trace; not both at once.

Huang was staring at her. He started to say something; then stopped, shook his head, and asked, "Where is he?"

"He's moving." Yin raised her left arm and pointed it at a forty-five degree angle. "That way. I don't know where to start looking until he stops."

"What the hell is he doing?" Huang muttered to himself.

"Not him," Hei said darkly. "Amber."

"Amber? What're you talking about?"

Hei's fists clenched almost compulsively. "Wei was at the embassy. He said he was working for Amber, but apparently she still wants me alive. He was just trying to slow me down."

"So she could grab Mao?" Huang scratched his head absently. He pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket and placed one in his mouth, but didn't light it. He wouldn't until they were outside where the smoke wouldn't bother Yin, Hei knew. "I'm not going to call this in to the Syndicate yet, not until we know what's going on. Yin, keep up your trace; we'll reassess the situation once we've located him. Rendezvous at the park at oh-eight hundred."

~~~~o~~~~

It was well after midnight by the time Hei arrived at Misaki's. The lights in her unit were all out, and her scarf was conspicuously absent from the bedroom window. She must still be working. He wondered what could be keeping her; despite his fight with Wei, there hadn't been that much damage at the embassy to necessitate her staying to direct the scene.

After a few minutes of debate, he decided to go up to her apartment and let himself in. He didn't think she would mind; it was too late to be loitering out on the street, and all the shops and restaurants nearby were closed. If he didn't have some place to wait, he would end up stalking through the city hunting for Amber. It took all of his resolution not to be out there right now, doing just that. But Huang had been right: there was nothing that they could accomplish without first knowing where Amber had taken Mao. And in any case, she would see him coming. She always did.

The corridor outside Misaki's door was deserted; Hei quickly picked the lock and slipped inside. The stillness of the apartment was a little unsettling. He turned on the living room light, but that was the only one. Any more illumination just emphasized the emptiness. Without Misaki's presence, the place was a husk, waiting to be filled with life.

How long was Misaki going to be? He hadn't brought his book with him, and he hadn't had a chance to restock the fridge since cooking last night; so he stretched out on the sofa and, after a few minutes, fell into a fitful sleep.

The dream began like they always did: he and Misaki were hunting through the dark streets of Tokyo, following a cold trail that Misaki swore would lead them to the Syndicate. Hei was at the same time walking beside her and watching the scene from a distance, as if the man in the black coat at her side was an impostor - though he knew it to be himself.

Hei - the one keeping pace with Misaki - caught sight of a blue glow down a particularly dark alleyway. He led her into the inky depths; the deeper they went, the more dank and humid the air became. Gradually, the concrete and brick walls on either side of their path gave way to equally dense and tall trees.

Hei - the watcher - knew this jungle to be teeming with the Syndicate's contractors, all focused on the sole purpose of killing the two of them. But still he blithely led Misaki on down the path, at the end of which he knew Amber would be waiting with a knife and a smile.

He tried to warn her to turn back, not to trust him; but in those dreams, he never had a voice. All he could do was watch himself pull her after him, until Amber - the Amber that he'd known during the war, who still stalked his dreams; not the younger version who stalked his waking life - stepped out of the trees and into their path.

This time, somehow - miraculously - Hei was able to react. He pushed Misaki away from her, stepping between the two of them. But behind him, Misaki let out a small gasp. He spun around just in time to see a man with long sideburns and a beard streaked with gray wrap a black-gloved hand around her throat. She struggled, but the man's grip was tighter than steel.

"Finish the job, contractor," the man ordered.

Horrified, Hei watched himself draw his knife and bury it in Misaki's back. The man's grip relaxed, and she collapsed to the jungle floor. Hei stood over her body, unable to to help her, to move, to do anything. Blood dripped unbearably slowly from the tip of his blade.

"I've been trying to warn you, Hei," Amber said sadly from behind him. "You never did learn how to listen."

His eyes snapped open abruptly at the sound of a door shutting; sitting up on the sofa, he saw Misaki flip the latch behind her, and his pounding heart flooded with relief.

One look at her expression, however, and Hei immediately regretted his decision to wait inside.

She fixed her gaze steadily on him as she unceremoniously dumped her purse and keys on the table by the door. Her suit jacket followed, briefly tugging the collar of her shirt aside as she stripped it off. Hei's eyes automatically followed the motion, his gaze caught by the glimpse of her bare shoulder. Misaki noticed, and raised one eyebrow; though whether it was censure or challenge, Hei couldn't tell. The heat rose in his cheeks, but he didn't look away.

"I was arrested by Pandora tonight," Misaki stated as she walked into the living room.

Arrested - Misaki? "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Misaki stopped in front of the sofa, looking down at him with her arms crossed. Several strands of hair had come free of her hair tie and were drifting over her cheeks. Hei wanted to smooth them back; that, or pull the rest of her hair down to run his fingers through it. "I'm more angry than anything."

Hei stood, but she made no move to close the short distance between them. Worry began to gnaw at his stomach. "What happened?"

She snorted. "I was an idiot, and snuck onto the embassy grounds."

For a moment, all Hei could do was stare at her. "Why?" he asked blankly.

"EPR had been holding a scientist there, and the Syndicate was trying to retrieve him. I wanted to get to him first - but EPR got him out, and Pandora caught me. Do you know anything about any of that?"

Hei shook his head, unable to respond to the accusation in her tone, and Misaki continued, "You don't seem very surprised to hear that Pandora troops were called in to a disturbance at a foreign embassy."

"I hadn't really thought about it." The sense that he was being interrogated was growing stronger, and he could feel his muscles tensing involuntarily.

"The Syndicate has people in Pandora, then. High up."

"Yes." Of course they did; they had people everywhere.

Her eyes narrowed. "And you never told me?"

"I - you never asked, and it never came up."

"Well, I'm asking now!"

Hei rubbed the back of head in frustration. Why did they have to be talking about this? All he wanted was to spend time with her, and forget about life for a while. "I had a job in Pandora once. That was before we - it was a few months ago. The Syndicate had me smuggle out a Gate artifact; my contact was a junior researcher, and I found out that one of the senior scientists is with them too. That's all I know."

"What artifact?" she asked, frowning thoughtfully.

Images of the horrific effects of the meteor shard that had been found in Brazil sprung unbidden to his mind; the carnage, the blood. And in the center of it all, Amber - and his sister. The Syndicate had since lost the Tokyo shard; presumably Amber had it now. The thought of what she could do with such a dangerous tool sent a chill through his blood.

His fists clenched at his sides. "A meteor shard - but I don't know anything about it."

" _Don't lie_ to me!" Misaki snapped, an angry flush on her cheeks. "I stood by and let you set a _bomb_ off in the middle of my city; then I spent hours in handcuffs being grilled by some asshole of a captain. They only let me go once the Director stepped in - do you have any idea how galling it is to be rescued by the very man you're investigating as a traitor? And now you're _still_ not being honest with me - I can't deal with this, not tonight!"

There was a touch of desperation in her voice, a glint of vulnerability in her warm eyes. "It's not my fault you trespassed at the embassy," he said in a low voice, and took a step that brought him within inches of her. "So don't take it out on me."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't back down. "It's your fault that I had to be there at all."

"I was just doing my job. If it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else; and _they_ wouldn't have warned you ahead of time."

"Your _job_ -" Misaki brought her hand up to shove his shoulder, but Hei caught her wrist. She let out a little gasp of surprise as he spun them around and forced her back against the wall beside the sofa, arm above her head. When she tried to push him away with her free hand, he gripped it tightly and pinned it next to the other. The weight of his body held her fast in place.

"If you can't deal with this, then tell me to leave," he growled, captivated by the slight tremble in her lower lip.

He felt her pulse racing just beneath the thin skin of her wrists, the tips of her breasts brushing against his chest as her breathing quickened. For a brief moment he was afraid that he'd made a mistake and misread the situation; then she pressed her pelvis into his. At her movement, his frustration and fear melted away into a warm cloud of desire. He grasped both her wrists with a wide spread of fingers so that he could bring his other hand down to grip her hip and hold her firmly against him, molding her to his body. Misaki's arms flexed in his restraining grasp as he teased her lips with tongue and teeth. She moaned softly, closing her eyes in pleasure. He wished that he could lose himself in her warmth forever, that the night would outlast the dawn and he could just…stay.

He'd never been any good at wishing.


	17. Chapter 17

_I should really just go see the doctor_ , Misaki thought as she massaged her left forearm through her suit jacket's sleeve. It had been aching ever since she'd woken up that morning, along with both of her wrists. Pandora's troops had not been gentle when they'd arrested her; then when she'd gotten home last night, she'd been so upset that she hadn't thought to put on her brace.

Last night. She touched her right wrist softly; Hei hadn't exactly been gentle either. They hadn't done anything that rough in weeks, and maybe she should have said something to curb his intensity; but apparently she'd really needed that catharsis. It had been a long time since she'd slept so well.

And yet, she couldn't help feeling that she had been smoothly manipulated. She'd been demanding answers from Hei at last, and he'd neatly sidestepped the issue and driven the questions right out of her mind. Had he done it intentionally? Or had he just needed the distraction as much as she had? She didn't understand why it was so hard for him to trust her with whatever it was that he was still hiding.

"Does it still hurt?"

Misaki glanced up to see Ootsuka's concerned face gazing at her from across their desks; that was right, she was at work. Ostensibly working.

"No, it's fine," she said. Then a little more softly, added, "Thanks."

Kouno thumped his hand down on Ootsuka's desk, causing the timid woman to jump slightly. "Who do those Pandora idiots think they are?" he scoffed. "As if the Chief really had anything to do with that bombing."

That wasn't entirely true, Misaki thought as her cheeks warmed. She didn't deserve such unwavering loyalty.

The rest of her team gathered around. "Yeah," Saitou said in a low voice. "I'm surprised the cabinet office would even authorize the Pandora forces to mobilize in a case like this." He was thinking the same thing that she was, Misaki knew: the cabinet was in the pocket of the Syndicate, knowingly or not.

Matsumoto took a sip of coffee from a paper cup. "I bet it was a diplomatic dodge. This way, they could take action without involving the local authorities and piss everyone off. What a rip…"

"I'll say," Kouno cut in. "I'm getting sick of these international boys butting into our jurisdiction. This is still _our_ country, isn't?"

The perfunctory beeping of Ootsuka's desk phone cut the conversation short. "Section Four," Ootsuka answered. "Yes, Sir. Chief?"

Misaki met the other woman's eyes, dread settling in her stomach. Ootsuka covered the mouthpiece with her hand. "He'd like to see you now."

Her team's worried eyes were on her as she thanked Ootsuka and stood up from her desk. Nodding gravely to them, Misaki straightened her jacket, then headed off down the hall to Hourai's office.

She had been hoping to avoid this meeting today, yet had been anticipating it all morning. The Director hadn't said two words to her last night after taking her out of Pandora's custody, and she still didn't understand why he'd done it at all. Surely it would have been easier to simply let her take the fall for nearly inciting an international incident - there was no way around the fact that she'd trespassed on a foreign nation's territory, far exceeding her own mandate as a Public Security officer.

What would she do if he fired her? She thought she could handle prison; at least there she could take solace in being punished for attempting to do the right thing in exactly the wrong way. But to face an ordinary life without police work? She couldn't even imagine it.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the Director's door. "It's Kirihara."

"Yes, come in."

Smoothing her expression into one of professional blankness, Misaki entered the office. It was only when she'd shut the door and taken two steps forward that she noticed that the room was occupied by more than just Hourai.

"I believe you know these two agents already," the Director said in English, gesturing to her left, where three people sat in the cluster of armchairs where Hourai held meetings with the more important sort of visitors.

From one of the chairs, the MI-6 agent April gave a little wave and said, "Hi." Next to her, July raised his hand in a brief greeting. Misaki bit her cheek to keep from smiling at the doll's gesture, and gave a confused half-bow in response.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," said a balding, mustached man in his middle years. He rose smoothly from his chair across from April's and walked around it to greet Misaki.

"This gentleman is in charge of MI-6's operations for eastern Asia," Hourai explained.

The man held out his hand. "Call me Decade."

"Chief Kirihara." Misaki shook his hand, growing more confused by the minute.

"You can probably guess why I've asked you here," Hourai began, folding his gloved hands on the desk in front of him.

Misaki didn't respond. She'd guessed that she was there to either be reprimanded, fired, or formally charged for her actions at the American Embassy. None of that had anything to do with MI-6.

"It's about November 11."

Her eyebrows rose. "Sir?"

"I'll ask you directly," Decade said gravely. "Do you know where he is at the present time?"

What the hell was this about? "I don't wish to seem disrespectful," Misaki responded, struggling to remain diplomatic, "but I could ask you the same question."

"Meaning what?"

_Diplomacy be damned._ "Meaning that I thought he was on assignment for you when he disappeared from the American Embassy, and that you would have kept better track of him. I'm also assuming that his assignment had something to do with Dr. Schroeder's abduction."

Decade sighed and exchanged an unreadable glance with the Director. Nonplussed, Misaki turned towards April, who shrugged and laced her fingers together.

"It's been over a week since either July or I have had any word from him."

A week? Then he had been acting on his own last night? "So," Misaki said carefully, "what does it all mean?"

"We'd like to know ourselves," Decade said. "The question is whether November is still a loyal agent of MI-6; or if he's turned on us, and become a member of this terrorist organization."

She wanted to laugh in his face. Despite being a contractor, Jack Simon was one of the last people who she'd expect to betray his employers. He'd told her himself: he was proud of being what he was. His worry when April had been injured, his concern for July's safety - his loyalty to his team reminded her of Hei. He wouldn't just abandon them, not without good reason.

And yet, like Hei, Simon had a history with EPR's leader. Amber and her people had been actively recruiting throughout Tokyo; she'd gone after Hei, so why not him too? But what exactly was it that she was offering, that could tempt someone like Jack Simon?

_From here on out, don't trust anyone_. Simon's words to Misaki still echoed in her mind. He'd gone into the embassy looking for answers, just like she had. Answers to questions that he obviously didn't trust his superior with. Answers that Amber held.

Misaki was so tired of asking questions and getting nothing but silence in return.

~~~~o~~~~

"Is that it?"

"Yes," Yin said.

The building centered in his field glasses was no different from any of the other mid-rise office buildings in the area, including the one whose open stairwell Hei and his team were currently using. Hiding under cover of ordinariness: that was just like Amber.

"Do you even know if Mao is alive or dead?" Huang commented from his seat on the stairs. The faint scent of cigarette smoke curled around their heads before escaping into the open air beyond the steel banister.

Hei lowered his binoculars and glanced at Yin. The doll was sitting on the cold concrete of the landing, her head resting on her knees. "He was alive when my trace was cut," she said. That had been this morning, just before their meeting in the park. It had taken her most of the day to locate the exact place where another doll had severed her thread.

"Whaddya suppose Amber is after?" Huang said. "First she grabs Yin, and now Mao; and how does that MI-6 pretty boy fit into the picture?"

That news had arrived a few hours ago: MI-6's top agent had disappeared at the American Embassy, and may have been turned by EPR. The bastard could die for all Hei cared; the only thing that concerned him now was getting Mao back. That, and finding Amber.

He stood gazing at the office building for a long moment, turning Huang's first question over in his mind. "Yin," he said at last. "What did Amber talk to you about, when you were with her?"

It seemed stupid that he had never thought to ask her that before now. But Amber had let him take Yin back without protest, which meant that she'd always intended to let Yin go. So what was her reason for taking her in the first place? She would have known that Hei would come to her regardless; kidnapping Yin served no purpose that he could see.

"You, Hei."

He turned to the doll to find her gazing sightlessly up at him, her pale eyes shadowed from lack of sleep.

"She talked of your past. And your future."

Hei gripped the binoculars tightly. _The future is meaningless_. Amber had laughed, the first time he'd told her that. _What the hell does she think she knows about my future?_ Besides, Amber couldn't _actually_ see the future. If he was fast enough, maybe he could get to her before she had a chance to turn back time and change things in her favor yet again.

He turned and started down the stairs, roughly tossing the binoculars to Huang, who grunted in surprise.

"Wait, not so fast!" Huang called. "You're not seriously thinking of going in there alone?"

Hei paused, but didn't turn.

"Black Reaper or not, even _you_ can't expect to get out of there alive!" Huang continued. "We're gonna have to abandon Mao; he'd say the same thing if one of us was trapped in there."

Hei had no doubt that he would; it would be the rational thing to do. But Hei had never cared much about doing what was rational.

"I'm the one Amber wants," he said with more calm than he felt. "I don't want to drag anyone else into this."

His team had suffered enough for his mistakes; and so had Misaki. He would keep them all clear of the consequences of associating with him, whatever it took.

~~~~o~~~~

It was long past sunset by the time Misaki decided to call it a day. Her team had spent the afternoon and evening in search of any clues regarding Simon's whereabouts, with no luck.

While she was grateful that she still had a job, Decade's insinuation that she would know Simon's location when he didn't still rankled a bit. And to make things more complicated, the MI-6 chief had initially refused to give her his Messier code - how did he expect them to track a contractor without vital information like that? Not that it actually helped; Simon's star hadn't shown any activity for days, and thus far the doll network was drawing a blank with their facial recognition program. She could only hope that he hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble.

Misaki stepped wearily down the wide stairs that led to the street outside of headquarters. She paused a few steps above where April and July sat waiting.

"Shouldn't you be out trying to find him right now?" she asked, somewhat uncharitably.

April took a noisy chug from the beer can in her hand, then smacked her lips and held it out to Misaki. "Would you like to have some?"

Misaki just stared at her until the contractor looked away again.

"It won't do any good to worry," April said. "If he doesn't want to be found, there's nothing we can do. But if you don't mind my asking: I was wondering why you were helping us." She glanced over her shoulder at Misaki. "Did your boss tell you to? Or is it…"

Misaki pretended not to understand her suggestive smile. These MI-6 agents all seemed to be assuming an awful lot, and she had no idea why. Just because Simon had spoken with her yesterday didn't mean that there was anything unprofessional between them; maybe she shouldn't have mentioned seeing him at all.

"I just want to know why, that's all," she said.

April's expression turned bemused. "Why what?"

"Why he said what he said before he vanished. He told me from here on out, I shouldn't trust anyone. He said I should rely only on my instincts." Those words had hit uncomfortably close to home. She had been doing just that for some time now; it was what had led her to suspect that the police had been compromised in the first place. But what did Simon know about it - did he have information on the Syndicate? Misaki wanted to find him if for no other reason than to ask him some questions.

But it was more than that. She couldn't shake her gut feeling that, somehow, Hei was at the center of everything. Whatever piece of knowledge he was persisting in withholding from her was vital to understanding it all: the Syndicate, EPR, and what had happened in South America. She just had no idea how to get him to talk to her.

April apparently had no answer either. She finished off her beer and sat quietly on the step with July.

"Are you headed back to your hotel, then?" Misaki asked after a few minutes.

"Suppose so."

"Need a lift?"

~~~~o~~~~

"Thanks for the ride," April said, resting her hands on the headrest behind her head. "Sorry you got stuck with having to see us off."

"It's okay." Misaki smiled as she nudged her car around a particularly slow van. Hourai had told her to give the British agents as much assistance as they needed; in any case, the delay was welcome. She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about going home and facing Hei. She was tired of pushing him on the issue of EPR, tired of him dodging the subject or trying to lie to her. But she had yet to formulate an approach that would actually work, and get her the answers that she needed.

In the meantime, she found that she genuinely enjoyed spending time with the MI-6 team. April's carefree attitude reminded her strongly of Kanami, so much so that she had trouble remembering the woman was a contractor. Idly she wondered if there was a way to get the two of them to meet; it would be a toss-up as to who could knock back the most beers. She glanced in her rearview mirror at July, his small hand pressed against the tiny window of her Porsche's nominal backseat. Kanami would love meeting him too, she was sure.

"November. I've found him."

Misaki slammed on her brakes, ignoring the green light in the intersection. She and April both turned in their seats to stare at July, who hadn't moved since speaking those soft words.

"Where?" April asked.

But Misaki didn't need July to give her a location. Through the rear window, she watched as the lights in a mid-rise office building several blocks away went out, one floor at a time, as if someone was switching them off as he traveled towards the top. She sucked in her breath; it was Hei, without a doubt. There was no guarantee that Simon was there as well, but she would bet anything that he was.

Without further delay, she flipped on her car's siren, pulled a U-turn in the middle of the intersection, and raced for that office building.

~~~~o~~~~

Hei crouched in the shadows across the street from the office building and checked his gear one more time. He couldn't afford any mistakes: not only was Mao depending on him, but Huang had insisted on coming along as backup. The older man had claimed that he was merely covering his own ass by keeping an eye on the Syndicate's assets, but Hei didn't quite believe him. He was grateful for the help, and gratefulness was not an emotion that he was used to feeling towards teammates. He would have to do his best to ensure that none of the fallout from his betrayal of the Syndicate would land on any of them.

At least Misaki would be out of it tonight. He'd considered sending her a message to let her know that he would be assaulting a building, but this had nothing to do with the Syndicate. The further she stayed from Amber, the better.

Security was minimal: a few cameras on the perimeter and the entrances, and an elderly night guard dozing at his desk. Either Amber wasn't expecting an attack, or she didn't care. If it was the former, then speed was essential. Hei secured his gear bag to his back, then darted across the street and slipped in through a side door.

Yin had located Mao in the penthouse office suit. Hei made straight for the service elevator at the back of the tower. It was access-only, and in any case, he didn't plan on leaving the building's power intact for much longer. A quick zap with his power got him inside the elevator car. He pushed open the maintenance hatch in the roof and pulled himself up to stand on top of the car.

Placing his crossbow to his shoulder, Hei fired a line up the elevator shaft. It disappeared into the darkness, but the grappling hook must have caught on something. He gave an experimental tug; it didn't budge. Good enough. Fastening the line to his harness, he triggered the retraction mechanism and sped up to the top floor. Bursts of electrical energy as he rose knocked out the lights floor by floor to cover Huang's climb up the stairwell. It wasn't exactly subtle; but subtly wasn't his goal tonight.

Hei halted his ascent at the top of the shaft and braced himself awkwardly between the building supports so that he could leverage the doors open. Then he swung himself through, cut the line, and he was in.

The entire tower was dark, but enough light from the surrounding city leaked in through the peaked glass roof that he easily got his bearings. Walkways ringed each floor, leaving the center space open all the way between the roof and the atrium. Following Yin's directions in his ear, he dashed down the walkway to his left.

Movement across the atrium caught his attention: an old man wearing nothing but a bathrobe was exiting one of the rooms, along with - _Mao_.

"Hei!" the cat exclaimed.

Hei darted down a bridged walkway that cut across the atrium. This would be easier than he thought. He could grab Mao, then after a quick repel down to the ground floor they'd be out.

But his plans were abruptly dashed when a figure jumped onto the walkway in front of him. Hei had just enough time to recognize Wei before the contractor lashed out with his dripping blood. Hei threw himself backwards over the rail, whipping his carabiner around a support beam to swing himself down to the floor below. Just as he cleared the lower railing, the ceramic over his left eye shattered with a sharp crack and he landed heavily on his knees.

A bit of blood was trickling down the side of his face, but it wasn't hindering his sight. He took a deep breath to regain his equilibrium and brought his head up to scan the area for Wei - then a flash of blond hair caught his eye, and everything else faded from his awareness.

_Amber_.

Her fur-lined pink catsuit emphasized the fact that she was now several years younger than when he'd last seen her a few months ago, but her pale hair and smug expression would never change.

She was in a doorway one floor above him. As she exited the room, her head turned towards his position; but her gaze seemed to pass right through him and she continued on blithely down the corridor.

Hardly daring to believe his luck, Hei leapt to his feet and sprinted towards the stairwell in the corner of the building. There was a cracking sound, then a jagged hole appeared in the ceiling ahead of him and Wei dropped through it.

"Since you're here," Wei said, blood dripping from his arm, "why don't you and I settle our differences once and for all?"

Hei swore under his breath; he didn't have time for this. Every second that he spent fighting the contractor, Amber was getting farther and farther away.

A prickle on the back of Hei's neck alerted him to a new presence just before a female voice behind him said, "Now, now; your job is only to slow him down, not to kill him."

Of course that was Amber's game - why waste her power on stopping the clock when she could send her minions to do her dirty work just as effectively. Infuriated, Hei spun and lunged at the woman, barely registering the fact that she was completely naked.

Her eyes widened in surprise at his attack; just before his hand closed around her arm, she disappeared in a flash of synchrotron radiation. Hei stumbled forward into the space she had occupied just moments ago.

"Hei! Look out!" Mao's voice cut across the atrium as Hei's awareness sensed the woman behind him once again.

Shifting his balance, Hei used the forward momentum of his stumble to pivot around and smoothly brought his left leg up in a roundhouse kick, knocking away her outstretched arm. She fell forward, a look of panic crossing her face. Hei drew on his ability as he swung his right hand towards her head, but she disappeared again right before he had a chance to release his power and kill her. He heard her land hard on the floor behind him, breathing hard. Until she was able to make her payment, whatever that was, Hei doubted that she would be a threat.

That left Wei, and Hei had no interest in wasting time on him, not with Amber calmly making her way down the corridor to the stairs.

Wei let loose with another blood attack, but Hei threw his cable into the steel rafters just below the glass ceiling and pulled himself up to the floor above. He landed directly in front of Amber.

She halted abruptly, staring up at him in shock.

Without hesitation, he clamped his hand down on her forehead. She could try to activate her power, but with him physically touching her it was a toss-up as to who would win that race and walk away alive. For the first time since in all the years that he'd known her, she actually looked…afraid.

_She's not the child she looks to be_ , Hei reminded himself grimly. _And it seems she really_ can't _see everything coming_.

He finally had her. The woman who had utterly destroyed his life.

"What are you after?" he rasped, his voice harsh with unrestrained anger. "What do I have left for you to take from me?" Not Misaki; she could never have Misaki.

Amber's expression of surprise had already been replaced by one of supreme unconcern. "Ask your little cat friend for the details; I've told him everything," she said. Her voice was a pitch higher than he remembered, but the cadence hadn't changed at all, nor had that slight lilting accent that he'd fallen in love with so many years ago. Hearing it again was a like a fresh cut across his heart.

His grip on her head tightened, but she didn't flinch. Nothing he could do to her could possibly hurt her; you had to _care_ in order to be hurt. She would talk to Yin, talk to Mao, talk to everyone but him. Him, she would leave in the dark for years on end, knowing exactly the hell that she was putting him through and not caring.

He didn't realize that he was drawing on his power, not until Amber was surrounded by the same glow as well, gazing blandly up at him with those honey-colored eyes. She looked so different, yet she hadn't changed at all. He was moments away from killing her, and she would still rather torture him with silence. His face twisted in fury beneath his mask until cold blue light filled his entire field of vision.

Distantly, he heard Mao shouting his name. The blue gave way to blinding white heat. Hei didn't understand what was happening, but he didn't care. He would destroy Amber if he had to take out half of Tokyo to do it.

Then a voice cried out, as clearly as if she'd been standing beside him. " _Brother!_ "

~~~~o~~~~

The entire building was trembling as Misaki and April, with July in tow, burst into the central atrium. Staring up at the bright blue glow that was flooding down from the top floor and limning her own hands and body, Misaki regretted the time that she had taken to retrieve her submachine gun from the lockbox in the trunk of her car.

"Let's go!" she shouted to April, and dashed towards the stairwell, her heart in her throat. July had pinpointed Jack Simon's location to the tenth floor. She had no doubt that she would find Hei there as well, and hoped against hope that he was alright. Who knew how many EPR contractors were in the place; maybe even Amber herself. Hei couldn't possibly face them all alone, and she had no way of knowing which side Simon was currently on.

The building's back-up generator kicked on as Misaki passed the ninth floor. She blinked at the harsh fluorescent light, but didn't slow. April and July were right behind her.

Finally, she reached the top floor. Terrified of what she might find, she kicked the door open and darted through, taking in the scene at a single glance. Rather than a horde of hostile contractors, there were only three people present. Well, two, technically: a few yards away, an old man in a bathrobe sat slumped against a door frame; standing close to him was a black cat that could only be Mao. And between them and her, the Black Reaper crouched, his back to the stairs.

Misaki took a deep breath and raised her weapon to aim at the back of Hei's head. She didn't dare act like she trusted or even knew him, not in front of the two contractors. "Lie flat on your stomach and slowly place your hands on the floor!" she called to him. "Do it now!"

He didn't move, except to slightly turn his face in her direction. His blue eye flashed beneath a jagged crack in his mask, and Misaki nearly gasped aloud at the pure malevolence in his gaze. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure that she _did_ trust him.

Carefully, she inched her lead foot forward, making sure to keep her weight centered defensively. Hei remained still, his gaze never wavering. Her pulse pounded. He hadn't complied with her order; he wasn't going to let her arrest him. Would his coat stop the rounds from her submachine gun? She wasn't sure, and hoped that she wouldn't have to find out. But he still hadn't made a move.

Misaki pressed forward another inch, watching Hei intently - then gasped as April grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Misaki had just enough time to register the fall of a small metal canister in front of her before the flashbang went off.

Spots swam in front of her eyes when she opened them, like shining fish darting through a smoky sea. As the haze began to clear, she saw that both Hei and Mao had disappeared. She would have to deal with him later; the old man, who could only be the missing scientist, still sat in a daze on the floor.

"Dr. Schroeder!" Slinging her gun across her back, she ran down the corridor and crouched down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Dr. Schroeder, are you alright? Dr. Schroeder!"

In the distance, sirens began to howl.

~~~~o~~~~

"They were only able to do a quick exam," Saitou said, "but the doctor's brain shows no signs of memory tampering. All his vital signs are stable."

"I see," Misaki said, watching the Pandora technician power down the portable ME unit. Dr. Schroeder was now wrapped in a blanket and sitting in a chair rather than on the floor, but he was just as unresponsive as when Misaki had found him. She had tried to question him before Pandora and Section Four arrived on the scene, but he hadn't appeared to even notice her presence.

Saitou lowered his voice. "So what exactly happened here?"

"I'm not sure." The huge burst of synchrotron radiation had triggered alarms over at Astronomics, and the Director had been alerted at once - along with Pandora. Fortunately, Misaki had called in Saitou on her own, so at least she had one ally with her. Kanami would not be able to cover up the fact that most of the activity had come from BK-201, although she had tipped off Misaki that some other, familiar stars had been involved as well. But there had been no sign of Jack Simon, and Misaki had no idea exactly what Hei had been doing here at all.

She was prevented from sharing any opinions with Saitou by the arrival of Hourai and Eric Nishijima. "Sir," was the only greeting she gave.

Hourai nodded slightly. "Good work, Kirihara."

Good work? What had she done - shown up too late?

Nishijima ignored both her and Saitou and turned directly to Schroeder. "Doctor?"

Maybe it was the familiar voice, or maybe it the tone of authority - but for the first time all night Dr. Schroeder looked up.

"I've got it!" the scientist exclaimed with more enthusiasm than Misaki would have thought possible, given the events of that evening. "I know what caused the disaster in South America!"

Misaki gaped as the small man jumped to his feet, the blanket falling unnoticed from his shoulders. "The contractor in the mask - it was because of his power that it happened! We've got to restart the experiment; we can't let them get the jump on us!"

She barely registered his words. _Hei_ had caused the disaster at Heaven's Gate? It was because of _his_ power that Brazil had been wiped off the map? All those millions of people… Her heart refused to believe it, but…she'd never seen anything like what had happened tonight. And that feral look in his eye; was _this_ what he had been hiding from her, why he was so adamant about her never meeting Amber - he didn't want her to learn the truth about what he'd done?

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice at first that Nishijima was approaching Schroeder. "Relax, Doctor," the Pandora chief was saying. "The experiment has already been restarted."

Schroeder blinked up at him owlishly. "Huh?"

Without warning, Nishimija jabbed a tranquilizer pen into the side of the doctor's neck; Schroeder collapsed, unconscious, onto the chair behind him.

"What are you doing?" Misaki pushed forward, but Saitou held her back with a hand on her arm. She shook him off in frustration.

"Please have the doctor transported back to Pandora," Nishijima told one of the institute's soldiers. The man beckoned one of his comrades over; between the two of them, they easily lifted the frail scientist to his feet and carried him off.

"What? But we still have questions we need to ask him!"

Nishijima finally acknowledged her presence with a cold look. "We have a few as well. Now if you'd be so kind." Without another word, he turned and followed his men towards the exit.

Misaki spun to the Director. "But, Sir!" Surely he would back her on this; Syndicate or no Syndicate, her department clearly had the prior claim to the doctor's debriefing.

However, Hourai only said, "I'm afraid we have no choice."

Shoulders sagging, Misaki watched Nishijima and her only lead walk away.


	18. Chapter 18

"It'll take a few more hours to run the full analysis," Kanami said with an audible yawn, "but I've managed to isolate the instigating signal, and there's no doubt about it. That extended pulse of synchrotron radiation tonight was only one order of magnitude below the signal that coincided with whatever destroyed Heaven's Gate five years ago, and the spectral pattern was exactly the same."

Misaki shifted her phone to her other ear and struggled one-armed out of her suit jacket, dropping it on the entryway table with her purse. It slid directly to the floor, but she didn't bother picking it up. "And the star responsible for that signal?"

"BK-201. Then, and now."

She held in her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

"You alright?" Kanami asked, her worry clear over the phone.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Let me know if anything else comes up tonight."

"Sure. Hey - get some sleep, okay?"

_Not likely_. "Yeah, I will. Bye."

Misaki snapped her phone shut and pressed it to her temple, the cold surface doing little to cool her blood. She was done. Done with the lies and the half-truths. Done being careful in her approach and patiently awaiting answers. Hei was _going_ to talk to her, and unlike last night, his distractions weren't going to work. With a sigh, she went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of ice water.

The Syndicate had people high up in Pandora - Nishijima, probably. What had Dr. Schroeder said? Something about restarting an experiment: _we can't let them get the jump on us_. 'They' were probably EPR, who had kidnapped the doctor - presumably for information on whatever this experiment was. It all tied in with the disappearance of Heaven's Gate; the rumors that the same thing was going to happen here in Tokyo were beginning to sound more valid with every new bit of information that Misaki received. She had to find a way to stop it - but which side was which?

She had just downed half the glass when she heard the door to her balcony slide open. Leaving the water on the counter, Misaki strode out of the kitchen and stopped in the center of the living room.

Hei was closing the door behind him. He was still in his Black Reaper gear; aside from some dried blood trailing down from a cut on his left cheekbone, he seemed to be in one piece, though his movements were slow and stiff.

"What happened to it being too risky to show up here wearing those clothes?" Misaki asked, crossing her arms.

His shoulders lifted in what barely passed for a shrug. She'd never seen him so exhausted; the effort of removing his gloves seemed almost too much. Her burning instinct was to go to him, to hold him and tell him that he was safe here with her. Instead, she seated herself on the far side of the small sofa in the very corner, tucking one foot beneath her so that she could easily turn to face him without straining her neck.

Hei stripped off his jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa. He cast Misaki a wary glance, but didn't comment on the distance she'd left between them before settling wearily onto the cushions on the opposite side. He hadn't unstrapped his knives; she didn't say anything about it.

"I thought you were going to give me a heads-up whenever you had a job," Misaki said instead. "Why didn't I hear from you tonight?"

He looked up at her with shadowed eyes. "It wasn't a job."

"No? You just decided to go storm an office tower for fun?"

"It was personal."

Misaki mentally counted to five to keep herself from snapping back. She inhaled slowly, then said, "Personal. Meaning, you got a tip about where to find Amber, and took off without bothering to consider the fact that I might care where you were, or the fact that I need to speak with Amber as well?"

Hei's hands tensed slightly where they rested on his thighs. "I only promised to tell you about my jobs with the Syndicate. This had nothing to do with that."

"But your team was there - I saw Mao, and that flashbang must have come from Huang. What were they doing, if it wasn't a task for the Syndicate?"

"She took Mao. We went to take him back."

Breaking into the enemy's stronghold to rescue a replaceable tool - that wasn't a very logical action. Normally, such a comment from Hei would have made her smile: the incongruousness of his actions and his professed personality were always in such stark contrast. But now that was tempered by her new knowledge of the Heaven's Gate disaster. She'd only known Hei for a few brief months, after all; how did she _know_ what was and what wasn't out of character for him?

Unbidden, her mind called up images of a dead French contractor on a roof, with a stab wound in his leg and several broken fingers; another Frenchman floating face down in the river, electrocuted; a bound man being shoved carelessly down steep basement stairs in a fall that could have easily broken his neck; a woman in a blue evening gown stained purple with the blood that had gushed from her slashed throat.

Kouno shared every story and rumor that he heard regarding South America and the Black Reaper - in the beginning, Misaki had chalked them up to exaggeration and hyperbole. Now, having seen his work with her own eyes…it was entirely plausible for such a man to be responsible for such a large-scale disaster. She just couldn't reconcile it with what she knew of _Hei_. Could he really have done such a thing?

Misaki closed her eyes briefly, then asked, "Who is 'she' - Amber?"

He didn't answer; but he didn't need to.

"What did Amber want with Mao?" she pressed.

"I don't know."

"Did you talk to her?"

A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I almost killed her."

"Why didn't you?" Misaki asked, suppressing a shudder at the pure hatred in his voice.

"...I don't know."

As quickly as it had come, the hate gave way to a soul-deep weariness, and Misaki almost gave up her mission to find answers right then and there. She stretched her arm out towards his shoulder, but caught herself and changed the movement so that she was propping her elbow on the back of the sofa instead. Continuing the conversation would be hard enough without adding in the need to resist curling up against him and falling asleep. For some reason he always seemed to derive the most comfort from holding her, rather than letting her take care of him. And she was always more than happy to oblige.

"Do you know where Amber might have gone to?"

His head twitched in a negative. It was probably the truth - if Hei knew where Amber was now, he would be there rather than here with her.

Well, it had been a long shot in any case. The police would be combing over the entire office building for the next couple of days, but judging from her elusiveness so far, Misaki seriously doubted that Amber would have been careless enough to leave any evidence behind.

Time to change tack, then.

"I have another question for you: what do you know about the disappearance of Heaven's Gate?"

His eyes narrowed. "South America was a long time ago; it has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me!" she snapped, then took a deep breath in an attempt to rein in her temper. He was getting defensive, and the last thing she wanted to do was push him too far so that he shut down completely. "Amber is in _my_ city, bombing _my_ streets, and whatever she's planning, it has to do with Heaven's Gate. The same goes for the Syndicate, who are in control of _my_ police. I can't stop them without information, and the only people I know who might have that information are her - and you."

"I don't know anything about that," Hei said hotly. "This is between me and Amber; stay out of it."

"Of course I won't stay out of it - how could you think that I would? Hei, this could potentially be huge - we're talking about the same thing that happened in Brazil happening here! Whether it's EPR, or the Syndicate - all the rumors agree that it's coming."

"You don't know that."

"No," she agreed, "I don't. What I _do_ know is that you're deliberately keeping information from me, and have been from the very beginning."

"I've told you everything about the Syndicate - what more do you want?"

"I want you to trust me. I've risked myself, my career, for you countless times in the past few months. And you still won't tell me the truth about your past!"

"There's nothing to tell." He was refusing to meet her gaze, focusing instead on his hands, which were clenched tightly on his knees.

"Then let me tell you something," Misaki said. She stood and began to pace in front of the sofa. "Something that I learned tonight: five years ago, your star outshone all the others in the sky and precipitated the disaster at Heaven's Gate, which killed at least one hundred _million_ people. And tonight, your star shone again with that same pattern of activity."

Hei looked up sharply. " _My_ star?" he asked in a low, cold voice that sent a chill down her spine. "You think my star had anything to do with Heaven's Gate?"

"I _don't know_. Because you won't _talk_ to me."

"Do you think that _I_ had anything to do with it?"

"I don't want to think so," she said quietly. The more she pushed, the more empty his eyes became, and it frightened her. "But intuition only goes so far - I have to look at the evidence. And the evidence tells me that you - and Amber - were both right in the middle of that event; and you've been actively keeping me away from her. What does Amber know that you don't want her telling me? What happened in South America?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that you need to hear."

"I warned you about lying to me, goddamn it!" she snapped, trying and failing to keep the plea out of her voice. Had she been deluding herself this whole time about their relationship? All these months, he'd only ever been honest with her where it posed no real risk to him. He'd told her just enough to keep her sympathy on his side; those glimpses of the Hei who she'd begun thinking of as Li - the real Li, Li Tian - could have simply been a calculated facade.

She took a deep breath, fighting off the tears that were threatening to well in her eyes. "You've done so much to help me with the Syndicate, but when it comes to what really matters, you don't trust me at all. Do you even care - am I anything more than just a distraction to you?"

Hei's expression closed off at her words. He rose from the sofa and took one step towards her; Misaki stepped back involuntarily. "Tell me you don't believe that I'm capable of destroying so many lives," he said, his blue eyes boring into hers. There was still a glint of that malevolent ferocity that she'd seen earlier tonight, when she'd been on the cusp of either arresting or shooting him.

"I…I don't know," Misaki whispered.

Without a word, Hei picked his jacket up and shrugged it on in a whirl of black as he headed for the door.

Misaki wanted to throw herself at him, to beg him not to leave, to please just _talk_ to her. But what she said was, "If you walk away from me now, the next time I see you I'm arresting you; and then you'll _have_ to talk!"

He disappeared into the dark night without a single backward glance.

Several long minutes had passed before Misaki found the energy to move. She sagged down onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. What kind of an idiot was she? She'd pushed him away, for good. And worse, she hadn't even gotten any answers to show for it. She still didn't know the truth about his involvement in the greatest contractor-related disaster the world had yet seen. But how would he ever trust her now?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. With a heavy sigh, Misaki dug it out and look at the screen: it was Kanami.

"What's happened now?" she answered wearily.

"It's November 11. His star's fallen."

Misaki snapped her phone shut and closed her eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

"Maybe you should go easy on the caffeine," Kanami said, eyeing Misaki as she poured out another cup from the coffee pot. "Take the morning off and get some rest."

"Can't," Misaki said. She put the pot away and took a sip of the bitter coffee. "There's still too much I haven't figured out; and I can't get away from the feeling that I'm running out of time."

They were sitting at Misaki's kitchen counter. Kanami had brought her new star analyses over and was helping Misaki integrate them into her notes on South America - and BK-201.

Kanami yawned. "I knew I should have waited to tell you the news about Jack Simon; did you get _any_ sleep last night?"

'No. And if you hadn't called me, the night shift would have." Misaki skimmed over the page in front of her; she didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but she did know that she hadn't found it yet.

Kanami failed to stifle another yawn, and Misaki looked up guiltily. "You don't have to stay; you must be tired too."

"Damn right I'm tired; this analysis took all night, and I'll be up again all night tonight. The sun spot cycle peaks tomorrow morning, so it's all hands on deck until then. But I'm going to go take a nap when we're done here, whereas you'll be heading to work - you're the one I'm worried about, not me. It isn't healthy, working so hard. You need to take better care of yourself."

Misaki snorted. "When did you become my mother? I'm fine." Then she added in a quieter voice, "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

"Have you gone down to the scene yet?"

"No. I can't… Saitou can handle it; he's going to call me once it's been cleared." She had spent the remainder of her night at the British Embassy, going over the bloody aftermath of Decade's murder with Matsumoto; that had been bad enough. There would be photographs of Jack Simon's body in the reports; she didn't need to see it in person. At least with photos, there was a degree of distance, of removal. She could fool herself, however cheaply, into believing that it hadn't actually happened.

"I hadn't realized that you were so close to him," Kanami said kindly.

"I hadn't either." Misaki admitted. She didn't look up, but took another sip of coffee and turned another page. "But it really feels like I've lost a friend." And Simon wasn't the only one she'd lost last night.

"Which means that you're going to handle it by burying yourself in work, instead of dealing with your feelings," Kanami said with a sigh. "Were you able to talk with Li about -"

"What is this?" Misaki interrupted, ignoring the ache in her heart at the sound of his name.

Kanami leaned over. "What is what?"

"This." Misaki pointed to the summary report in front of her. "I don't remember seeing these data before."

"Ah. That's because they're from my own analysis," Kanami said, a touch of pride in her voice. "The spectrum for UB-001 often has this weird little spike following its activation; it's part of the star's characteristic pattern. But after you told me the ability linked to this star - the power to freeze or turn back time - I decided to take a closer look. I cranked it up to the highest time resolution that our equipment can manage -" she pointed to another diagram - "and I found this."

Misaki squinted. "It looks like…another spectrum?"

"Yep. It's super noisy because the technology just isn't sensitive enough for the kind of detail I'd like, but that's what I think it is: another contractor is using their power _while_ UB-001's ability is activated. It doesn't happen every time, but when it's there, now that I know what to look for, it's pretty obvious."

"But for that to be possible, it would have to mean…time isn't frozen completely, just really slowed down?"

"To the point that it may as well be stopped, yeah. Otherwise we wouldn't see this other spectrum at all. As it is, it's impossible to clean up; not without finer resolution."

"This time stamp - this is just moments after the signal from BK-201 that annihilated the Gate."

Kanami nodded. "What we're seeing here is the fighting that happened within the Gate," she indicated the spectra from several dozen contractors, "followed by BK-201's attack" - that was the sharp peak at the end of the cluster.

"And then UB-001 froze time," Misaki said, following the trail of data.

"Yeah. There's a serious deviation in the Z score here." Kanami caught Misaki's look and amended, "I mean, it looks like she held time frozen for a long, well, time. If we cross check the spectra with the charts…"

Misaki pulled up the corresponding star chart on Kanami's laptop. She clicked through several frames. The charts couldn't pinpoint the exact location of a contractor; in Tokyo they depended on the doll network for real-time tracking. But even the older systems, with the right triangulation software, could narrow it down to a range of sixty miles or so. "She moved, dozens of miles in a fraction of a second - if the Gate field isn't warping the signal too badly. It looks like teleportation; but if she had time stopped, I guess she could have walked."

"Not just her." Kanami tapped the screen.

"BK-201?"

"Yep. That's the star that was active during UB-001's time freeze. And not just active - it's hard to tell because the resolution is shit, but the signal looks virtually identical to the one we saw last night. Whatever he did, it was big - and far from the center of the Gate. Then just _after_ that, the attack on the Gate peaked, and _poof_ \- no more Gate. Almost like a time bomb."

Misaki sat back in her chair, rubbing her forearm idly. It still hurt, but she didn't have time to stop by the doctor's; she wouldn't until she got this whole thing with Hei and South America figured out.

She'd definitely been right about his lies. There was the proof, right in front of her, that BK-201 and UB-001 - Hei and Amber - had been working together to destroy the Gate. But why? Had he known what would happen? She found that extremely hard to believe, but 'it was an accident' was just as implausible - a contractor didn't use that much power at such a directed target without knowing exactly what they were doing.

And what had that little side trip been? If they'd just wanted to get further from the Gate to avoid the fallout, Hei wouldn't have needed to use his power at all, let alone at the same magnitude that she'd seen in that office building last night.

The only way to know for sure was to ask him. And that was impossible now.

Another thought suddenly occurred to her. Hei and Amber had clearly been working closely together back then - but they were enemies now. Hei held Amber responsible for his sister's disappearance, which had happened when the Gate had vanished; where _had_ his sister been during all this? Misaki hadn't ever been able to get the girl's Messier code out of him. But Hei being together with Amber during that time didn't at all line up with the little that he'd told her, months ago. He'd been away from his sister, hunting Morado, who had deserted. Morado, who had been terrified of Amber. Amber, who Hei had trusted to look after his sister while he was away…

"Have you eaten breakfast yet this morning?"

Misaki looked up. "What? No. I'm not hungry." Actually she was starving, but the only food she had in the apartment was soup leftover from the other night. Soup that Hei had made; she didn't feel like eating it.

Fortunately she was saved from having to explain herself by the buzzing of her phone on the counter. She checked the screen. "It's Saitou. The scene's been cleared." She pocketed the phone with a tired sigh. "I need to go. Can you do me another huge favor, and cross-reference PL-282 with these charts?"

Kanami looked blank. "PL-282? Who is that?"

"Just another thread; but if I tug the right one, eventually this whole thing will unravel. It has to."

~~~~o~~~~

It was an ordinary patch of sidewalk on an ordinary street, not far from the British Embassy. The cleaning crew hadn't yet arrived to deal with the crimson stain on the concrete. The city owned this sidewalk; it would take some time.

April was there when Misaki arrived, July clutching her hand tightly. Misaki stepped up next to them and gazed down at the chalk outline. The three of them stood quietly for several long minutes.

"Why did this happen?" Misaki asked at last. "I don't understand - what was he trying to do that would result in _this_? Why, Jack? What happened?"

There was no doubt that Simon had killed his boss, along with the bodyguards who had tried to intervene. But Misaki couldn't believe that he would just turn on MI-6 like that. He had to have had a reason - a rational explanation. Whatever Amber had told him after he'd disappeared from the American Embassy must have been the instigation for his decision; but still - why kill Decade?

_From here on out, don't trust anyone; rely on your instincts_. Those had been Simon's last words to her. Had he followed his own advice? He didn't trust his employer, so he'd sought ought Amber? As far as Misaki knew, Amber was primarily targeting the Syndicate's leadership; did that mean that Decade was one of them? Misaki had no evidence to suggest it, but her instincts told her that it was true.

Simon needn't have gone off on his own like that; Misaki would have given him whatever help he needed, if he'd just asked. Especially if it meant learning more about the Syndicate. But instead, he'd left her in the dark.

"It was his way of protecting you."

Misaki glanced over at April, surprised. The contractor continued, "He didn't want you to know any more than you did. That's why he didn't tell you anything before he died." She smiled widely. "A very rational choice; one that any contractor would be proud of. I'm glad that you cared for him - thank you, Misaki."

April tugged at July's hand; they turned and headed off down the street. July looked back over his shoulder and raised his hand in a small gesture of farewell.

Misaki gazed sadly down at the sidewalk. Protecting her? She supposed that she could understand that; but at the same time, it infuriated her. How was she supposed to stay safe when she had to make decisions without the right information? That was Hei's purported reason for not telling her anything about Amber - it was for her own safety. Was that why he was refusing to explain his past - to protect her? Protect her from what? She was so sick of being treated like she couldn't handle reality.

Her instincts told her that, contractor or not, Hei could never be responsible for the deaths of so many people, unknowingly or otherwise; but all the evidence that she had pointed to the exact opposite conclusion. What was the truth?

With a sad sigh, Misaki turned and headed to her car. It was time to get back to work.

~~~~o~~~~

Hei was the first one at the rendezvous in the morning. He'd spent the night there, in fact. After leaving Misaki's, the thought of going back to his place and trying to sleep, alone, was almost unbearable. So instead he'd walked until he found himself in the park, where he'd stretched out on the wooden bench and watched the stars through the thin branches of the tree overhead.

Going to her apartment had been a mistake, which he would have realized if he'd just stopped to think things through. But after coming face to face with Amber, and hearing his sister's voice - she had been so close, so _real_ , and he still didn't know whether he'd simply imagined her or not - he'd needed to see Misaki. He'd been tired, and hurting, and he needed her.

He should have expected her to meet him with an argument. And he really couldn't blame her for it.

Did this officially cancel their deal - would she really try to arrest him now? Probably; there was no reason why she shouldn't. Which meant that he'd be leaving Tokyo, soon. It was for the best, in any case. She would be better off without him.

As he watched the stars wheeling slowly in the sky, a complicated pattern nothing like the spin of the true stars, his mind ran over every word, every gesture in their short relationship, trying to understand exactly where he'd gone wrong. Maybe Misaki was right, and he should have just told her about Amber, and South America…maybe he still could.

But what good would it do. She already knew that he'd completely failed to keep his sister safe, despite the fact that that had been his only purpose in life for five years. Like an idiot, he'd fallen for Amber's lies, and Bai had paid the price. Amber could tease and torment him with the possibility of a reunion all she wanted; Bai knew that she needed her brother's devotion to survive. If she was still alive, she would have found her way back to him a long time ago.

He closed his eyes. At this point he had nothing to lose by exposing his past: Misaki apparently already thought the worst of him. He'd given more of himself to her than to any other person; what could he say to convince her that he _did_ care for her, more than he'd ever thought possible? If she didn't believe it by now, no words would change that.

Something had changed tonight, though. Of course she'd always known what he was willing to do for his job - she'd even made up her own little story about how he actually hated the death and violence and just needed the right opportunity to walk away from it. He knew Misaki: she could never love someone who didn't value human life the way that she did. But he'd let himself hope that maybe, just maybe, he actually _could_ leave the Syndicate, and leave behind the Black Reaper for good; bury that persona with the rest of his past. If he could act like a normal human being for long enough, maybe he could truly be one. Misaki would never know the difference.

Except she believed that he was responsible for the disappearance of Heaven's Gate - for the deaths of millions of people. And if she thought that he could be capable of such a thing….then they'd never had a future together. He'd been lying to himself these past few months - just like with Amber, he was simply a means to an end - uncovering the Syndicate. He doubted that Misaki had consciously intended that; but that didn't change the reality. Whatever it was that they'd had, it was over.

The wind rustled in the leaves above him; Hei opened his eyes. The sky was beginning to lighten from midnight blue to gray tinged with pink, but a few stars were still visible. Directly overhead, staring down as if watching his every move, was his own star.

Hei had no idea what had happened at Heaven's Gate; that Amber had been heavily involved he had no doubt. But he did know one thing for sure: up until _after_ the Gate had vanished, that star had belonged to his sister. Even worse than hearing Misaki accuse himself of such a heinous act had been realizing that if she was right, if his star had indeed been the cause of the disaster, then it had been Bai who had done it. It was unimaginable. But…Bai had been just as much a contractor as Amber; so if Amber wouldn't have flinched, how could he think that his sister would have?

_Because it would have killed Xing to even contemplate such an action_.

That had always been his problem - refusing to believe that Xing was gone for good. Even now, he couldn't quite grasp the idea that _nowhere_ inside the cold, calculating contractor Bai was the little girl who had been afraid of the dark. He'd protected her, her entire life. She would have been killed dozens of times during the war, if not for him. If not for him…would Heaven's Gate still be standing?

Sometime after sunrise, Yin arrived in the park. Hei sat up to make room for her on the bench, leaning back against the tree instead. Yin seated herself next to him without a word. It was a comfort, of a sort. Yin might give up on him someday as well; but for now, she was by his side.

"Huang says don't be late for the meeting," she said after a minute. "He has important news."

Hei idly wondered what that news could be. Not much could have happened between the raid on the office tower and now.

Mao arrived right on time an hour later, looking thoroughly annoyed. "Why did you come after me?" the cat asked. "The best decision in the circumstances -"

"Would've been to let you die, of course," Huang said as he entered the park, cigarette clenched firmly between his lips. "I could've told you that, and I'm not even one of your super rational contractors. But who listens to me anymore?"

There was more amusement than rancor in the complaint. Not all that long ago, Huang had shot Hei for refusing to listen to his orders; it was strange how things changed, Hei mused. Maybe he didn't have - could never have - Misaki, and he no longer had Bai; but it seemed that he finally had a team that supported each other.

"You people are idiots; you know that?" Mao said.

Huang pointed at Hei. " _He's_ the idiot, not me!"

Hei found himself nearly smiling. "Never mind me," he said to change the subject. "What was your big news?"

The older man immediately sobered up. "Word is, that pretty boy from MI-6 is dead."

The news meant nothing to Hei; that contractor had killed Carmine, and Hei couldn't care less whether he lived or died.

Mao, however, whipped his head around to gape at Huang, the bell on his collar jingling. "Are you serious? You're sure?"

Huang blinked. "Yeah. He managed to take his boss and a troop of bodyguards with him. Now, about the Syndicate: it's only a matter of time before they find out that Mao was in that building. Before that happens, I'd like to know exactly what happened in there."

Hei looked down at his feet, willing his breathing to stay even. He'd spent so long searching for Amber; now, all he wanted was to get away from her and never hear of her again.

"That MI-6 agent," Mao said. "He knew he was going to die."

"Huh?"

The cat ignored Huang, and turned to Hei. "At the risk of sounding metaphysical, I think there's a reason I got out of that building alive. Amber told me everything: the Syndicate is working on a plan that will wipe every contractor alive off the face of the earth."

"Say what?" Huang said, cigarette burning forgotten in his hand.

On the bench, Hei tensed. You couldn't trust a word that she said; she'd told Mao whatever she thought he wanted to hear.

"Amber and her people have been fighting against them; that's the reason why they destroyed the South American Gate five years ago."

"Whoa, hold on - what are you talking about?"

But Hei had heard enough. "You're wrong!" he burst out, slamming his fist into the soft wood of the bench. Everyone - save Yin - jumped. "Don't try to tell me she's some crusader for justice - she's just…" He struggled to find words through his anger, but a quiet voice cut him off.

"No. She isn't like that."

Hei turned to find Yin looking up at him, her pale eyes boring into his own. How could she say - she didn't know, she hadn't been there. Amber had lied to her as well. But he found his rage slipping beneath Yin's calm gaze; so he stuffed his hands into his pockets, turned his back, and stalked towards the gate.

As he left the park, he heard Huang say, "What the hell's going on here?"

He had no answer to that.

~~~~o~~~~

Something was bothering the Chief.

Saitou watched her surreptitiously over the top of his computer monitor; she was focused intently on something on her own screen, holding her left arm somewhat awkwardly with her other hand. He'd asked her about it earlier, but she'd brushed off the question, so he hadn't pushed - but it had clearly been paining her for a couple of weeks now.

He didn't think that that was what was on her mind today though. She'd been shaken up by the British contractor's death, which surprised him - he hadn't thought that she'd felt anything more than a minor annoyance towards the man. But ever since arriving at the office late that morning, she'd been…disconnected from the world around her.

Abruptly the Chief scooted her chair back; Saitou flicked his eyes back to his own work before she caught him watching - the Chief didn't like to see people worrying about her. Fortunately, she hadn't seen. His gaze followed her to the break room before Kouno stepped up and blocked his view. Saitou returned to his work, suppressing a sigh.

"Hey, Saitou - can I ask you something?" Kouno asked, dropping a lazy elbow on the top of Saitou's cubicle and watching the Chief disappear over his shoulder.

"What is it? I have to finish this report." Jack Simon's death had promised to be a complicated, drawn out investigation - until the Director had informed Saitou that morning that Section Four would not be involved any further. He hadn't told the Chief yet; he was sure that she wouldn't take it well.

"It's about the Chief."

Kouno suddenly had Saitou's entire attention. "What about the Chief?"

The younger man leaned in slightly. "The Director called me into his office this morning, and asked a whole bunch of questions about her."

"What kind of questions?" A part of him wished that the Chief had never told him her discovery about Hourai's allegiance; it had him second-guessing every single word out of the man's mouth. With good reason; but still. Saitou had always been a firm believer in the authority of hierarchy. Working in a world in which he couldn't trust his superiors was incredibly frustrating.

"Questions about Jack Simon. Like, did I ever see them together outside of official business; were they ever alone in the office. That kind of thing."

"Why would he ask that? He doesn't think that the Chief had anything to do with Simon's death, does he?"

Kouno shrugged. "Sounds like he suspects the Chief was sleeping with him."

Saitou nearly choked. "The Chief? And Simon?"

"Right?" Kouno laughed. "I told him no, I hadn't seen anything like that - because I haven't. But even if I had - come on, it's the Chief! With a contractor?"

"Ridiculous," Saitou said, trying to keep the guilt from his face. If he hadn't actually seen the Chief with BK-201, seen the way she smiled at him…well, he still hardly believed it. Even worse was the fact that Saitou found himself _not_ hating the guy - he seemed to genuinely care about her. And when that warehouse had collapsed, trapping them both - any other contractor would have left Saitou for dead, but Hei had actually helped him escape. He'd always known that the Chief had good judgment when it came to character, but even so. Trusting a contractor like that…

"You know it's funny," Kouno continued. "I keep having this weird dream, where you and I have to go to her apartment to tell her something important - I can never remember what - and we get there to find that she's on a date with BK-201."

"BK-201," Saitou repeated blankly. He hoped, for the Chief's sake, that Kouno never fully recovered the memories taken by KN-302; but he knew from personal experience that memory loss via contractor was not quite so permanent as one would expect.

"Yeah," Kouno laughed. "Except sometimes he's not BK-201, he's just some normal guy. Weird, huh?"

"You dreaming about the Chief? Yeah."

"Whoa, don't say it like that!" Kouno dropped his voice even lower. "I'm not _dreaming_ about the _Chief_!"

"Who's dreaming about the Chief?" Ootsuka interrupted, her arms full of papers.

"Kouno apparently has dreams about her going on dates with contractors."

"No I don't!" Kouno protested, holding up his hands with a look of panic on his face. "Forget I ever said anything!"

Ootsuka snorted. "Well, it isn't a contractor who keeps calling to ask her out to lunch…"

Saitou snapped his head up. "Who's asking her out to lunch?"

But Ootsuka only shook her head. "Unless you actually get up the nerve to ask her yourself, that's none of your business."

Saitou's face heated. He opened his mouth to protest that he would never do anything of the kind - she was his superior, after all, and clearly her type was quite the opposite of him - when a voice snapped behind them, "Is this an office or a karaoke bar?"

They all jumped; Ootsuka continued on to her desk as if she hadn't paused at all, while Kouno made a show of studying a paper next to Saitou's computer before returning to his own work station. The Chief, steaming coffee cup in hand, eyed them all until everyone had settled in to work, then seated herself behind her desk.

A minute later, Ootsuka's phone rang.

"Section Four," she answered, then placed her hand over the mouthpiece. "Chief - he wants to see you."

The Chief nodded once, visibly steeling herself as she stood. How did she face the Director, day after day, knowing what she knew, without letting on? Her courage had never failed to amaze him. But still, this was the Chief - it just wasn't in her to let injustices slide for too long. Saitou had to force himself to keep his eyes on his screen, rather than watch her disappear down the hall. He hoped desperately that she wouldn't say or do anything too risky, that would get her into trouble.

~~~~o~~~~

When Misaki entered the Director's office, it was empty except for the Director himself.

"Sir?" she asked, stopping in her customary spot a few feet in front of his desk.

Hourai didn't waste time with small talk. "I'm sorry to have to ask, but did you have any personal relationship with November 11?"

She blinked in surprise, but otherwise kept her expression neutral. She'd been expecting a discussion about Simon's death, but where was that question even coming from? Then she remembered Hei's insistence that the Syndicate was heavily compartmentalized. She'd always just assumed that that was his excuse to not give her information that he was uncomfortable with, but if that was true…the fact that she was having an affair with a contractor associated with the Syndicate could have filtered down to Hourai such that he interpreted it to mean Simon. After all, she had had a working relationship with the Brit, he was more charismatic than most contractors, and she had arrived at EPR's office tower _before_ BK-201's activity had alerted Astronomics and Section Four. That last little fact had raised some questions last night; but April had been there to help explain what had happened.

"Our relations were strictly professional," she said firmly.

Fortunately, Hourai appeared to accept that answer; Misaki didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't. "It looks like Decade's suspicions were correct," the Director said, studying her. "There seems to be no doubt that he defected to Evening Primrose."

"What possible reason could EPR have to want Decade dead?" Misaki asked. She was sure that Hourai knew; he might let something slip.

"That's an interesting question, Kirihara, but we no longer have any authority to investigate. I would advise you to forget about it."

Misaki ground her teeth together. No doubt Hourai would blame it on international relations, but she was sure that it was the Syndicate's decision to call off the investigation. They wouldn't want Section Four turning up any connection between Decade and themselves, of course.

She tried another angle. "That was a rather impressive display of force by Pandora the other day. Not what you'd expect from a mere research organization." More proof that Pandora was simply a front for the Syndicate. "Since when did Pandora -"

"Did I not make myself clear?" Hourai interrupted sharply. "As far as we're concerned this matter is closed. There's no need to get worked up over the death of one contractor."

"Sir," Misaki said before she could stop herself. The Director raised an eyebrow; she tried to moderate her tone and continued, "He was a human being. One who lived his life with great pride and honor - even if he was just one contractor. His last words to me were to follow my instincts, and to do what I believed was right. Now if you'll excuse me."

She turned and headed for the door, her pulse quickening. She'd never left this office without a clear dismissal before, ever.

"Hold on," Hourai said; Misaki managed to not cringe, but just barely. "He contacted you before his death?"

Misaki stopped and looked over her shoulder. "That was a joke."

It was hardly funny; but somehow she thought that Simon would appreciate it.

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki wasn't entirely sure how she got through the rest of the afternoon; but it was with great relief that she watched the clock strike six. Ignoring the concerned looks from her team, she packed up her belongings and headed out.

When she pulled her car out of the building's parking garage, she turned down the street at random, with no real destination in mind. All of her notes were still at home, but going back to her empty apartment just wasn't appealing. Kanami would be working all night, or Misaki might have stopped by her place. Instead she drove, and thought.

There was no plan in her mind, no clear direction to pursue, no leads to follow. Hei had been her lifeline in more ways than one. Every little hint that he'd been able to provide her with concerning the Syndicate had been vital; but even when he had nothing to offer, just his _being_ there had meant more to her than she'd realized.

It couldn't be true. He couldn't have really been responsible for Heaven's Gate.

Then why hadn't he ever explained it to her?

She was idling at a traffic light when she realized that she was in the neighborhood where Simon had died. At the same time, she noticed a silver Nissan one car behind her and narrowed her eyes. Kouno - what was he doing?

On impulse, she cut to the left when the light changed, and checked her mirror; the Nissan had followed. It would be next to impossible to ditch a tail in the middle of the busy city with her Porsche; so she didn't try. She pulled into the first parking garage that she came to, zipping ahead as far as it was possible to and parking on one of the upper levels. Then she slipped out of her car and waited behind a concrete pillar.

It wasn't long before the sound of running footsteps echoed in the garage. More than one pair; probably two. They paused in front of her car, then Kouno and Saitou continued jogging past the pillar.

"Pretty sloppy tailing job, boys."

Both men froze in their tracks at her words, then turned back, worry clear in their expressions. Misaki pushed herself away from the pillar and stepped towards them. "So what's the deal," she asked. "Who ordered this?"

Had Hourai not believed her answer after all - was he considering that she might have a connection to Hei? But then why send Saitou and Kouno, men that she knew and trusted, rather than a Syndicate lackey?

A sea of conflicting emotions crossed Saitou's face. "Uh, you see," he stammered, "we, uh…"

Not the Director then. She sighed. When would everybody just stop worrying about _her_ , and let her deal with things on her own? "Maybe we'd be better off having Ootsuka do the tailing jobs from now on," she said, and turned to leave the garage.

"Chief, please, listen -" Saitou called after her; but she kept walking. Wisely, they didn't follow.

There was a florist just up the block. Misaki picked up a modest bouquet - white lilies and blue forget-me-nots - then walked to that spot on the sidewalk.

The blood stain was still there; she stepped over it carefully to lay down the flowers. Someone - April - had left a few beer cans, along with a pack of Death brand cigarettes. He would have enjoyed the irony, she thought.

She didn't say anything; she had no words, in any case. Instead, she thought again about his last words to her. _Rely on your instincts_. But that was the problem: she wasn't so sure that she could trust even herself anymore.

The sun was beginning to set; with a heavy heart, Misaki headed down the stairs to the street level - and saw with a jolt a familiar figure walking down below, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket.

_Hei_.

As if he felt her eyes on him, he raised his head and looked right at her, freezing her in place. His expression almost took her breath away: she'd never seen anyone looking so dejected, as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and was just hours away from being ground down into the dust. Even at that distance, she could see the sadness brimming in those blue eyes.

It wasn't Hei at all, she realized. She was seeing the man who had once been an innocent child, who had lost everything dear to him and didn't know how to cope. Alone.

"It's Li," she murmured aloud.

The moment passed; he looked away, and continued his slow trek down the street. She'd sworn to arrest him the next time that she saw him. She'd as good as accused him of committing the most terrible atrocity, and he had every right to hate her for it. But she couldn't, she just _couldn't_ , watch him walk away.

"Hold on!" she called out, and raced down the rest of the stairs. His back tensed slightly as she ran up; he was probably expecting her to pull her weapon. But instead, she caught his upper arm. He turned to her, eyes wide in genuine surprise.

"Um -" she began, not sure what she even wanted to say. "Are you…are you hungry?"

"Uh…" was his only reply.

She smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

Hei hesitated, confusion in his eyes. Misaki could tell that he was on the verge of refusing.

"Just dinner," she said quietly, relinquishing his arm. "What can it hurt? And if anyone sees us, we _have_ technically met before. Right?"

After a brief moment, he gave a tiny nod. Then with a steady exhalation, he adjusted his features into an expression more typical of Li, the foreign exchange student. The pain never left his eyes - but no one who wasn't looking for it would ever notice, Misaki thought.

"Sure," he said with a casual smile. "Do you have any place in mind?"

"Um….there's a hibachi grill just up the block that's pretty good - they have an all-you-can-eat buffet."

At those words, Hei's stomach growled. Misaki laughed for the first time all day. "Come on," she said.

It was so strange to be walking next to him up a public street, in plain view of anyone who might be watching. The fantasies that she told herself when she couldn't fall asleep alone more often than not involved perfectly normal relationship activities: going to the movies together, trying out new restaurants, dragging him to Section Four's karaoke night so that she wouldn't have to suffer alone. She'd been wanting to take him to this grill for quite a while now.

Hei walked with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, for which she was grateful; it would have been too tempting to reach out and take his hand otherwise. And she didn't think that she could bear having him shake her off.

"Were you heading anywhere in particular?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just walking."

"Oh. Everything okay with your job?"

"I guess."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence after that. Misaki had no idea what to say, what she _could_ say in the case that anyone was observing them; and Hei, despite his acceptance of her invitation, was clearly in no mood to talk. So they headed down the street, side by side and worlds apart.

The restaurant was on the fourteenth floor of a modest hotel. They were seated at a table right next to a wide window that looked out onto a gorgeous view of the city at sunset. It would have been romantic, in other circumstances.

"Order whatever you'd like," Misaki said. "My treat."

"I can pay my -"

"I invited you," she interrupted with a smile. "That means I get to pay."

He didn't argue. They both ended up choosing the all-you-can-eat option; Misaki hadn't realized until the first round of food arrived that she hadn't eaten a thing all day. And black coffee probably didn't count as nutrition.

"Seriously," Hei said around a mouthful of grilled vegetables, "did I really look that hungry to you?" Clearly he _had_ been hungry - he'd wasted no time digging in to several bowls of rice already.

He was playing up his Li persona, and Misaki was struggling to follow along with a mixture of amusement and disappointment. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, so many questions to ask and explanations to give; but those words were for _Hei_ , not Li. She took a cooked strip of beef from the little tabletop grill. "Well, it was more…you kind of look like someone I know."

Hei's eyes widened. "You don't mean like some criminal you're after right now, do you?"

Misaki nearly choked on her food.

"You're kidding me," he said in feigned shock as she coughed. "That's what it is, isn't it?"

She laughed nervously, and piled more peppers onto her plate. "No, no." To think that a few months ago, she had bought this act completely.

"No sudden movements."

Misaki looked up at the sound of cold, emotionless voice to find the mask-like face of the Black Reaper fixing her in a dark-eyed stare. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Someone's watching you from the seat behind you," he warned.

She blinked in confusion - there was really someone watching her? No, she'd been keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the other patrons; the seat behind her was empty.

There was a piece of rice stuck to Hei's cheek. She tried to suppress a giggle, but it came out as a snort, followed by a full-bodied laugh.

"That was terrible," she said when she found her breath at last. "You need acting lessons."

"That bad, huh?" Hei asked. He actually sounded disappointed. Then he noticed the rice, and plucked it off dejectedly.

"Oh yeah," Misaki said, her stomach aching with laughter.

Hei gazed at her with a sad, fond expression, and laid out some more strips of meat on the grill.

Misaki wiped a tear from her eye. "I haven't laughed like that in weeks," she said. "It feels good."

"I'm sorry you haven't been happy."

"It's not that," she said quickly. "Actually, lately I've been happier than I have been in a long time. I think the stress of my job is just starting to get to me. And…last night a friend of mine passed away. So it was kind of a rough day."

"A friend?" Hei asked, his forehead furrowing slightly. She'd never really talked to him about Simon; the one time that she had, he'd gotten almost hostile. It was clear that there had been no love lost between the two contractors. "Is it something that the police are looking into?" he added hesitantly.

Misaki was desperate to talk about it, but this was dangerous territory for a public conversation. She shook her head. "I want to, but my boss said that we couldn't. Diplomatic issues."

"Ah." Hei focused intently on his rice. Misaki had a feeling that there was something that he wanted to say; at last he sighed. "I was watching the stars last night. I saw one fall."

That was a lie; Simon's star had fallen while Hei was at her place. He couldn't have seen it. But she understood what he was trying to tell her. "Yeah. One did."

They ate in silence for a few minutes; then Misaki said, "I remember you mentioning that you used to stargaze with your father. Did you keep doing it, even after the stars changed?"

Some emotion that Misaki couldn't name passed across his face. "Yes. Almost every night, for years. My sister lost her interest in them…but she still liked to watch them fall."

Misaki wondered how many of those falling stars had been Hei's work, and how many his sister's.

His sister. She frowned; something was niggling at the back of her mind, some little detail that her subconscious was desperate for her to pay attention to. In all of her notes and analyses and theorizing, Misaki had never taken into account Hei's sister. She'd not forgotten about her, of course, but she hadn't exactly _included_ her.

Hei had been protecting someone long before he'd ever met Misaki. It was one of the things she loved best about him - but she'd never followed that fact to any sort of logical place. Her forehead furrowed in thought. According to April, Simon had been trying to protect Misaki by not giving her more information, and they had merely been friends. Was the same true of Bai? After spending so many years being watched over by her older brother, was there something that she had kept from him, in order to keep _him_ safe?

"It's funny, you know," Misaki said, filing that idea away for later examination; "when you spend so much time chasing after stars, you end up becoming sort of attached to them."

"You're really devoted to your work, aren't you." It was a neutral comment, but she could sense the censure in it. The not-completely-undeserved censure.

She sighed. Even in the middle of what was supposed to be a friendly dinner, she couldn't shut off her brain. "Yeah, but I think maybe I've been working too hard. I'm starting to feel like I'm letting myself get swallowed up by the organization. I think I need to concentrate more on what _I_ want."

"All organization are like that," Hei said bitterly. "They just use you as a pawn for their own ends."

"You may be right."

It turned out that even Hei's bottomless appetite had a limit. Misaki was reluctant to end the night so soon, but with neither of them eating and the conversation at a standstill, she had no excuse to stay. By wordless agreement, they collected their coats and headed to the register to pay. Another couple was already there: an older man in a fedora and three-piece suit who was trying to channel Bogart, and a girl in an odd uniform and bright pink hair. Misaki frowned; was there some kind of cosplay event nearby?

The pink-haired girl glanced over at them; her eyes widened almost comically when she saw Hei, then grew even larger when her glance shifted to Misaki.

"I don't believe it," the girl exclaimed, bouncing over to the two of them and looking Misaki up and down. "No way - you mean you prefer _middle-aged_ women?"

"Middle-aged?" Misaki repeated despondently. She knew that she was older than Hei, but not by _that_ much - and this girl couldn't hardly be out of high school yet. Who the hell was she? But Hei looked just as confused as she did.

Fortunately, the man interrupted. "Hey, Li, old buddy - you came at just the right time!"

"Right time for what?" Hei asked blankly.

"I'm having a little cash flow problem over here - the banks never post deposits on time, you know how it is."

Misaki's eyes narrowed. Anything to get out of a bill that he'd had no intention of paying to begin with - she hated low-life leeches like this. Fortunately, Hei was too perspicacious to be taken in so easily.

"Ah. How much?"

"H- Li!" She tugged him to one side. "Are you actually friends with these people?"

He shrugged. "I hardly know them."

"Then why would you give them your money? The bill is over sixteen thousand yen!"

"…They asked?"

She studied his guileless expression. How much of that was Li, and how much was Hei? Finally she sighed. "It's your money, I guess."

To Misaki's annoyance, after Hei had paid, the odd pair introduced themselves and insisted on walking out with them.

"I don't normally eat in this neighborhood," the man - Gai - said as they left the building. "The maitre d's are all so snooty. But Kiko and I had a long day of chasing down stories about the old stars, so I decided to treat her."

"Stars?" Hei asked.

"That's right; any memories involving the old stars."

"Everyone wants to talk about them," Kiko put in.

"Well, the past is always a refuge for people; and especially so since the appearance of the Gate. Things are so uncertain now."

"Uncertain?" Misaki asked. She hadn't really thought about the impact of the Gate on the average person's life in years, not since she'd joined Section Four. The entirety of her working day - her life, really - was taken up with contractors, dolls, and stars. Even her closest family and friends were part of that select inner circle of knowledge and experience.

"Take these bombings," Gai said. "It's like the whole world's gone crazy. Everybody tries to act like things are normal; but underneath, there's this anxiety. It's good to have your memories to fall back on at times like that."

She could definitely relate to an underlying anxiety. But memories? Her life before the Gate hadn't been all that different from now. She couldn't trust the police as a whole anymore, but she still had her father, and Kanami. Beside her, however, Hei's posture drooped a little more.

Gai and Kiko turned to head down a flight of stairs leading to a lower street level. "Well, this is where we part ways," the self-styled detective announced. "Thanks for bailing us out - and thanks for the treat!"

"It wasn't a treat, it was a loan!" Hei called out, a little bit of Li returning to his voice. "You still have to pay me back for that!"

Somehow, Misaki doubted that he would ever call in that debt. She smiled, then turned to him. "So, do you have anywhere you need to be tonight?"

"Not really," he said with a touch of wariness.

She pointed to a sign halfway down the block. "Ever been to the batting cages?"

"Uh, no?"

"I used to go all the time during college, to blow off steam and de-stress. I haven't been in ages, but right now it sounds perfect." Misaki began walking down the street. After a moment, Hei followed.

"Baseball? I've never played before."

"What, seriously?"

He shook his head.

"Well, it's not hard - just swing the bat and hit the ball."

"I think I can do that."

Hei offered to pay for both of their passes, but after seeing him lay out so much cash for a dinner he hadn't even eaten, Misaki insisted that she cover her own.

The place was empty this late on a Thursday night. They set up in adjoining cages; Misaki watched Hei settle himself over the plate and lift the bat over his shoulder.

"Is that your grip?" she asked.

He blinked and turned to look at his hands. Then he turned to her. "Yes?"

Misaki shook her head. "You look like you're ready to break someone's kneecaps, not hit a baseball." His expression slipped a little at her words. She hastily raised her own bat, gripping it firmly - and correctly. "Like this."

Hei studied the positioning of her hands, then mimicked her stance. Misaki did a couple of slow practice swings; Hei copied her.

"Good," she nodded, then started up the automatic pitcher.

The first pitch was an easy one, right over the center of the plate. Misaki swung her bat; she hit the ball with a solid, satisfying crack, sending it far out into what would be center field.

Hei's first pitch was also clean and straight - but he missed the ball completely, his aluminum bat whiffing through empty space.

Misaki tried not to laugh. "Just keep swinging," she said. "After a few pitches you'll get the hang of it."

It had been so long since she'd done this last that she was worried she'd lost all her skill completely; and it did take several pitches before she was connecting with the ball consistently. Then muscle memory took over, and she could focus entirely on the feeling of pure physical exertion. It was like when she swam: her worries just dropped away, and she could let her mind relax.

Hei, however, seemed to be having trouble focusing. When he did manage to hit the ball, it would veer off into foul ball territory. The disappointed and bemused faces that he made after each terrible swing made her giggle; the more she giggled, the worse his technique became. Finally, an overly enthusiastic swing missed the ball entirely; his momentum spun him around and he landed hard on his rear. Misaki laughed so hard that she dropped her own bat and was nearly hit by a curve ball.

At last the timer on their session ran down, and they exited the cages. Misaki spotted a spectator's bench not far from the entrance and seated herself with a tired sigh. It wasn't a particularly warm night, but the exertion had left a fine sheen of sweat on her skin. She unbuttoned the top of her blouse and fanned her chest a bit.

Hei offered her a can of soda from the nearby vending machine. She took it with a smile. "Thanks," she said, and placed the cold aluminum on the side of her neck, closing her eyes as her blood cooled pleasantly.

"Nice view, isn't it."

"Hm?" She looked up to see Hei standing next to her, his own soda in hand, gazing out at the nighttime lights. "Yeah…what do you think of the city? You like it?" She'd never asked him that before. He'd traveled all over the world; she wondered how Tokyo compared to other cities. She'd never been abroad herself.

"I guess; I don't hate it," he said. She expected him to stop there - noncommittal answers were Li's specialty - but he continued, "Sometimes it's cold and distant; sometimes it's warm and welcoming. At first, it was just a place I was passing through. But now I'm beginning to think I might want to stay here."

"Really?" A tiny shred of hope fluttered in her heart. "But the city seems to be getting more and more dangerous every day."

"It's not so bad. It could be worse - my sister and I were in a place much more dangerous than this."

There was a faraway look in his eyes. "You make it sound like you were in a war zone," Misaki said, knowing perfectly well that that was exactly what he meant. Hei merely nodded, continuing to gaze out at the city.

"Where is your sister," Misaki mused, more thinking out loud than asking a genuine question. "Is she still back there?" If Bai was still in the Heaven's Gate vicinity, that would certainly explain why Hei hadn't been able to find her. No one had been seen leaving the impenetrability zone in the last five years. But then…how had Hei gotten out? And Amber?

To her surprise, Hei answered. "No. She…"

His voice held a tone of finality that Misaki had never heard from him in regards to his sister. As if he'd given up. It frightened her a little.

"Did she pass away?" she asked quietly. "I imagine that was very difficult." _For you_ , she added silently. Was that what he'd learned from Amber last night? And he'd been dealing with it all day, alone. She wanted to reach over and take his hand, watchers be damned. But he'd angled himself away from her slightly; he didn't want her sympathy. She was on the verge of attempting it anyway when Hei spoke again.

"I don't know. It might have been a relief for her."

The pain in his voice was unmistakable. Misaki remembered an errant thought that she'd entertained a couple of weeks ago: that Hei, despite his power, wasn't a contractor at all. And now he was speaking of his sister as if she had had at least a hint of human emotions as well. In fact, the line between contractor and human was seeming to blur more and more lately.

Had his sister stayed behind voluntarily, in order to somehow help Hei escape? Misaki recalled the star charts she'd gone through with Kanami that morning: BK-201 and UB-001, heading away from the Gate in the space between the seconds before the Gate had vanished entirely, taking most of southern Brazil with it. They'd traveled a route that met up with PL-282; Kanami had sent her that report at lunch. But…Hei had told her that he _hadn't_ found Morado before the Gate disappeared. And that he'd been human during the war. So then, BK-201…

That was a crazy thought; out of line with everything that was known about contractors. Wasn't it?

A loud tick in the silence between them snapped her out of her thoughts; the clock on the nearby bus stop counting down the minutes to midnight.

"Have you heard the rumor?" Misaki asked, needing to fill that quiet space but unsure of what to say.

Hei shrugged, and sat down beside her. "Yeah, I've heard it. But I don't believe it."

"Me neither. I didn't think anybody believed it. Look!" The city beyond them was gradually growing darker as the lights of office buildings, houses, and apartments alike winked out one by one. There five minutes left, but the sky remained stubbornly overcast. "What do you think?" Misaki asked. "Is everyone planning to look at the sky all night, waiting for it to clear up?"

Hei answered her with a question of his own, a tense edge to his voice. "Do _you_ want to see the old stars?"

Misaki pondered that for a moment. "I don't want to see them so much as I want to reveal them," she said at last. "But, unless the present stars go away, we'll never be able to see the old ones."

"The present ones are just fakes."

"Maybe," she countered. "But just suppose all those beautiful fake stars were to suddenly stop shining - that would be sad too, wouldn't it?"

She leaned back on the bench and tilted her face towards the sky, looking for those fake stars behind the screen of clouds. Her hand rested on the seat next to her, just inches away from Hei's hand as doubt drifted through her mind. Should she tell him her suspicions? Was she even close to being right? Suggesting an explanation that wasn't true might be worse than staying quiet.

Then her phone buzzed. Misaki withdrew it from her pocket and checked the screen: a text from Matsumoto, calling her back to the office. It must be important, or he wouldn't be contacting her this late.

"Look like I've got to go," she said, and jumped down from the high bench. "But I'm glad we talked. I've been thinking too hard lately; I guess I got kind of lost."

"When you think too much, that's probably the time when you should just trust your instincts and act."

Misaki stared at him. Hei's half-smile turned worried. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"Uh," Misaki said, then mentally shook herself. "Uh-uh; I think you're right." She smiled and held out her hand, remembering the way Hei had first introduced himself to her in that bathroom stall, what felt like years ago. "Thanks for hanging out with me this evening. It was fun."

Hei's hand was warm when it gripped hers. "Yeah, it was."

"Well…see you later," she promised, then turned and jogged back towards the parking garage.

Simon had been right - and so was Hei. She'd been thinking entirely too much. Her instincts told her that Hei had _not_ purposefully caused the disaster in South America; likely he hadn't been involved at all. He hadn't been lying about _that_ when he'd told her that he didn't know what had happened. And another thing - she'd been focusing all her efforts on taking down the Syndicate from within; meanwhile, they had been using her as a pawn while they fought against EPR. One of those two groups had their sights set on Hell's Gate, and things were coming to a head - soon. If she was to make any difference at all, she first had to understand what had happened at Heaven's Gate.

But before tracking down those answers, she had to find out what Matsumoto needed.

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki had just pulled into the building's parking garage when Kanami called.

"Something's up," her friend said without preamble.

"What is it?" Misaki jabbed the call button on the elevator impatiently, mentally willing the doors to open faster.

"Someone's placed an administrative override on our network programming. I can't get past it even with my credentials."

"What does that mean?" The elevator crept towards the seventh floor; it never went this slowly during the day.

Kanami inhaled deeply; she must be worried, if she wasn't even bothering to hide her smoking, Misaki thought. "It means that someone else is directing our specters right now."

Misaki's blood ran cold. "What? Who - Hanada?"

"No. I confronted her about it, and she admitted to passing on information and rigging a few surveillance routes here and there, but this is beyond her level. And whoever is accessing the system, they're doing it from _outside_ our building."

"What the hell is that about?" Misaki muttered. "Look, I just got to the office. Do what you can on your end; if I come across any clues I'll let you know right away."

"Sure," Kanami said, sounding tired. "The sun spot cycle peaks at sunrise tomorrow morning - this is not a good time for things to be going wrong." She hung up.

Misaki strode past the empty reception area; Matsumoto was pacing outside the conference room. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Patrols have been stood down, as of ten minutes ago," he said. "All of them."

"What? Why wasn't I informed of this?" Section Four didn't utilize regular patrols as often as other departments, but contractors weren't the only criminals in the city; far from it. But the Public Security Bureau Superintendent should have alerted all section chiefs regardless.

Matsumoto shook his head. "No one was. An old buddy of mine, a beat cop on our watch, gave me the heads up. They were given the order with no explanation; he thought I might have an idea why. I called dispatch to at least get our guys back out there, and was told that my authorization code was currently invalid."

Misaki's brow furrowed. "But why - why would they go over our heads like this with no word?"

"I can only assume there was some kind of interference at a higher level."

"Interference? But who?" It was obviously the Syndicate; but it made no sense. First Astronomics, now the police - they'd kept to the shadows for years, but this was a bold move, one that brought them right out into the open. There would be no hiding their existence after this.

Her phone buzzed again. Misaki looked at the screen, expecting to see Kanami's number - but it wasn't her friend. "It's my father," she told Matsumoto in surprise, then turned slightly aside to answer. "Hi, Dad, what is it? I'm kind of busy right now." It was awfully late for a phone call - then she remembered that he was currently in Dubai for a conference.

Her father's voice was garbled as he said, "Misaki, get out of there!"

"What's that?" Misaki asked, cupping her hand around the phone. She couldn't have heard right.

"Evacuate! You've got to get out of the city immediately, you hear me?"

She clutched the phone so tightly that she could feel the logo pressing into her palm. "But what's happening?" Then realization dawned. "The Gate!"

_It's happening here, now - like in South America_. Her instincts had been right after all.


	21. Chapter 21

Hei took the long way home, a meandering path through busy nightlife districts and quiet parks. More people were out than usual tonight. The sky had remained stubbornly overcast, but humans were just as stubborn, it seemed. He passed through them like a silent ghost.

The whole evening had been almost surreal. Misaki hadn't tried to arrest him; even more baffling, she'd wanted to spend time with him. And he'd enjoyed himself, as much as was possible. Her smiles had come easily, and it was satisfying to know that he could still make her laugh.

But there had still been a distance between them, an edge of uncertainty. When she'd begun to speak about the stars, all he'd wanted was to talk to her about Bai. Tell her everything. Maybe she would have some insight into what had happened to his sister; maybe she'd believe him when he told her that Bai had been worth protecting, even if she had been just a contractor. But then work had called, and she'd left him.

Hei gazed up at the darkened windows of an apartment building, the balconies crowded with hopeful stargazers. _Brother, look. I made the stars fall. Lots of them._

By the time he turned onto the block just north of his own street, however, the windows were still dark, but empty. It seemed everyone had gone to bed. Aside from some fitful dozing on his bench last night, Hei hadn't had any sleep in the past twenty-four hours; but he didn't have much hope for tonight either.

"Hei, don't go back home!"

Hei froze on the verge of turning the corner onto his street just as Mao landed on the block wall beside him.

"What's going on?" he asked the cat in alarm.

"No time!" Mao snapped, jumping down with a jingle of his collar.

Hei was drawing a blank as to what the emergency could be - and without information, he had no idea how to react. But before he could question Mao any further, a car swerved around the corner, tires squealing. Huang's car.

It screeched to a halt in front of Hei. "Get in the car," Huang ordered.

"What's wrong?" Hei demanded - then he saw the bullet hole in the windshield, and the small red stain that was beginning to seep onto the older man's stomach.

"The Syndicate's cut us loose - we're out in the cold."

Hei felt the world drop out from beneath his feet. "Why would they? What happened?" Had someone seen him with Misaki - had their innocuous evening together still looked too compromising? He should have turned her down, emotions be damned.

"That's what I'd like to know," Huang said.

"Hei," Mao cut in, "we know it's got something to do with the South American Gate. Are you sure you're not keeping anything from us?"

There was just enough time for guilt to wash over Hei before a massive force pulled both him and Mao to the concrete; Huang gave a grunt of pain behind them.

It was like a giant's fist pushing him flat onto the street. Hei struggled against the force, but he could barely turn his head. His fingers scrabbled on the ground, searching for a puddle of water or a metal pipe, anything that could conduct electricity. But there was nothing; Hei swore to himself. He'd been so caught off guard by Huang's announcement that he'd completely failed to follow up with Mao's warning. Sloppy.

Then a movement across the street caught his eye: a blond man limned in blue stepped out of the alley.

"No need to glare at me like that, BK-201," the contractor said. "I'm only following orders."

Hei would have cursed if he'd had enough air left in his lungs. All he could do was hope that Mao had been right, and that this was about South America - not Misaki.

But then the contractor let out a strangled cry, and collapsed. Abruptly the pressure ceased; Hei pushed himself up, resting against the car's tire while he caught his breath and scanned for whatever had killed the contractor. The answer became obvious as Wei of all people stepped out from the alley behind the dead man and crouched down to assess his work.

"A gravity user, huh?" Wei commented offhandedly. "These overpowered types always have a bad tendency to get cocky and let their guard down."

"You." While Hei agreed with him - he'd depended on that tendency many, many times over the years - the last thing that he needed right now was another fight with this monomaniacal contractor, down the street from his own apartment no less.

"Relax; don't get defensive." Wei stood and approached the car, stopping several feet away. "I'm not here to fight you this time; I'm just running a little errand for a friend - Amber."

In spite of himself, Hei tensed at the name.

"She's waiting for you inside the Gate, BK-201," Wei continued.

"Impossible!" Mao protested. "You can't just waltz in there like it's a shopping mall or something."

"Which is why I've been delegated to guide you safely inside."

"That seems a little too good to be true."

"Alright," Hei said.

"Hang on -"

But Hei cut the cat contractor off. He leaned against the car tiredly. "You want to know what happened at Heaven's Gate? I can't tell you. I don't know what happened. I don't know why Bai disappeared. Only one person knows the answer: Amber."

"So you're gonna go in and ask her?" Huang said worriedly.

Hei nodded, and stood to get into the car.

"And then?" Yin's quiet voice somehow echoed in the empty street. Hei hadn't even noticed her sitting in the back seat of the car until now. "When you see Amber. And when you talk to her?"

Hei knew what she was asking; but he didn't have an answer. He wouldn't - not until he'd seen Amber.

Huang revved the engine. "All aboard - you can hitch a ride with me," he said with a strained grin, one hand on his midsection. The red blotch on his shirt was growing larger. "I'll take you as far as I can, anyway."

~~~~o~~~~

Huang had managed to throw one of Hei's spare gear bags into the car, for which Hei was endlessly grateful. Having to face the Gate at all was bad enough, but going in unarmed? He didn't think that he'd be able to find the courage.

A chopper picked them up about halfway to Pandora, but Wei wasn't worried; he was confident that they'd be able to lose the tail once they reached the expressway tunnel. Both Hei and Huang kept their eyes on the surrounding traffic as well, but nothing stood out. Hopefully the Syndicate assumed that an aerial surveillance would be enough.

"I've been thinking about retiring," Huang said as they drove. "Out in the country. Do some fishin'."

"Seriously?" Hei couldn't help asking. He couldn't picture Huang anywhere except the city. He couldn't picture him relaxed at all.

"I used to go all the time, before this crap. Crucian carp were my specialty."

There had been carp in the lake up in Zhangjiaping. Hei used to be able to tell apart the different species; his father had taught them all to him during those long summer days. Now he couldn't even name one.

"That suits you, Huang," Mao said, saving Hei from a barrage of uncomfortable memories. "You've got the face of a fish."

"Shut up," Huang told the cat mildly. "When you're sitting there watching the water drift, it feels like time stops altogether. You forget we're all just leaves on its surface, and even if we see the end, there's no way to stop the flow."

Amber had said something like that once, as they sat side by side on the bank of a slow-moving stream. Hei hadn't quite understood what she was trying to tell him, so he hadn't paid much attention, and instead just focused on enjoying their brief respite from the fighting.

Maybe someday he'd try fishing again.

Mao sneezed loudly.

Huang glared into the rearview mirror. "I'm trying to talk here."

"Sorry, I must be allergic to rambling."

"We're here," Wei interrupted.

Huang pulled the car into the narrow shoulder of the expressway tunnel, beside a secure access door; everyone save for him got out. He settled back against the seat with a pained grunt and pulled out a cigarette. Hei watched, suddenly unwilling to leave. Judging from the size of the crimson stain on the older man's shirt, the bleeding was slow, but steady.

Huang gave him a sideways glance. "Still here? Then gimme a light."

Hei leaned over, a spark forming between his fingers - and zapped the cigarette instead of lighting it.

"What the hell, man?" Huang said, jerking back reflexively.

"You should quit smoking those things." _They might kill you._

"Yeah, and you should quit stuffing your face," Huang grumbled as Yin stepped forward. "Uh, Yin?" The doll leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What's that for?"

Hei couldn't help but smile a little at the look of panic on his face. Yin gave him a tiny squeeze, then let go and stood with Hei.

Huang coughed a choking, hacking cough; Hei didn't miss the flecks of blood spotting his hand. Then he grinned. "It's been fun."

The car rejoined the flow of traffic and sped off into the night. Hei and Yin stood watching until it disappeared; then Hei turned to follow Wei and Mao through the access door that Wei had directed them to. Yin stayed closed behind him.

~~~~o~~~~

Saitou focused intently on his noodles, as if the process of eating at a roadside ramen stand was enough to distract him from worrying about the Chief.

She'd emerged from her short - unusually short - meeting with the Director looking a bit unbalanced; but she hadn't said a word to anybody. Matsumoto and Kouno had both noticed that something was up as well. "She's working on something off the books," was all that Saitou had been able to tell them. He hated that he really didn't know much more than that, but she wasn't talking to him either, and he hated that even more.

 _Something_ significant had happened at that office building last night, and if the Chief was looking into it on her own, she needed backup. Even without knowing any of the details, the rest of their team agreed with that assessment. Tailing her had been Matsumoto's idea; it had sounded reasonable at the time. But she'd just been going to visit the site of November 11's death. They shouldn't have followed.

She'd texted him after she'd left them in the parking garage: _Don't worry, I'm going straight home from here_. At least if she was home, she'd be less likely to get into trouble. It was the only bit of comfort he could get - but he'd take it.

"Saitou," Kouno said, staring into his bowl. He hadn't eaten even half of the dish. "You don't think the Chief is sticking her nose into anything dangerous, do you?"

Saitou slurped up the last of his noodles, then tipped the bowl into his mouth to drain the broth. He set it down with a hard thunk. "I've got total faith in her."

"Yeah, that's why we're tailing her," Kouno muttered. "We're not worried at all."

Saitou's phone rang; he fished it out of his pocket and answered wearily, "Hello."

"Saitou," Matsumoto said, "What are you doing right now?"

"Oh, just getting some food." He was technically still on the clock for another hour, but meal breaks while on random patrol were perfectly allowed.

"Is Kouno with you?"

"Well, yeah - he's sitting right here."

"Have you heard from the Chief?"

"Relax, she's at her place." The Chief was right; they needed to stop worrying.

"Wrong. Look, she told me about everything you two have been investigating; she's gone to Pandora to get some answers. But something big is about to go down, and I think she could use some help."

"What?" It took Saitou a moment to process Matsumoto's words; then he snapped his phone shut. "Kouno - we're going to Pandora!"

"Huh? What for?"

"Matsumoto says the Chief is there!" Saitou jumped up from his stool and pulled a handful of change from his pocket. "Money's on the counter!"

He and Kouno ducked out from under the noodle stand's awning and raced towards Kouno's car - only to be forced back onto the sidewalk by a convey of armored assault vehicles.

"Damn it, what's the military doing here?" Saitou wondered aloud, his chest tightening. Matsumoto was right: something big was definitely going on, and it had the Syndicate written all over it. But what on earth was the Chief doing at Pandora - and could they get to her in time?

~~~o~~~~

The security camera outside of Pandora's side-access gate looked unnervingly like an eyeball. Misaki held up her badge and stared it down, uncomfortably aware of the heavily-armed guards flanking her. A cold memory of metal encircled her wrists.

"Public Security Chief Kirihara, Foreign Affairs," she told the camera. "I have a few questions for Dr. Robert Schroeder."

The intercom beside the camera crackled. "Do you have an appointment?"

She pocketed her badge. "No I do not."

Hei didn't know - or wouldn't tell her - what had happened five years ago. Amber was impossible to track to down. But last night the research scientist had sounded as if _he_ understood the Heaven's Gate disaster. If her father was right, and the city was in danger of disappearing forever just like Brazil, then she had to know, now. She brushed aside the question of exactly how her father knew that a crisis was imminent; she would deal with that later.

After a moment, the intercom crackled again. "The doctor will see you now."

Security escorted her first to a screening checkpoint. Two female guards were waiting: one pulled her aside for a body scan with a hand-held metal detector while the other emptied her purse onto a table and cataloged its contents. The wand beeped as it passed over Misaki's left suit jacket pocket; the guard pulled out her voice recorder.

"That too?" Misaki asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

"You'll get it back when you leave."

Suppressing a sigh, Misaki followed the guard down a maze of corridors and through two more checkpoints, one with a metal detector and one with some kind of scanner that she had never seen before; the guard at that station refused to explain its function. At last, she and her escort reached what was clearly a hallway of offices. The woman stopped her at the last door on the right and knocked once, then held it open.

Misaki stepped through and bowed. "Thank you for meeting me."

"Chief Kirihara - what a pleasant surprise," said Eric Nishijima.

Misaki looked up sharply as the guard shut the door behind her. "No offense, sir; but I was under the impression that I'd only be meeting with Dr. Schroeder."

The scientist was standing beside Nishijima's desk; he appeared to have recovered completely from his shock of the night before. "Of course I'd prefer it was just the two of us," Schroeder told her with a cheeky grin, "but Mr. Nishijima insisted. You know how these suits love to supervise things."

Nishijima steepled his fingers. "I'm not here to impede. Actually, I was just about to call you when you showed up. There isn't much time to explain everything, so we'll have to make this quick." He picked up a remote control and a television screen on the wall behind Misaki clicked on. "Please, have a seat."

Dr. Schroeder plopped down on one of the two leather sofas in front of the screen. Misaki followed his example - albeit with less enthusiasm - and sat down across from him. She'd come here with the intention of arming herself with knowledge that would throw the Syndicate off balance; but now she was the one who was having trouble finding firm footing. Why would Nishijima want to call her?

A map of the Heaven's Gate area appeared on the screen. "The catastrophe at Heaven's Gate five years ago wiped out hundreds of millions of people," Nishijima said. His seat at his desk coupled with his didactic tone made Misaki feel as if she was in class again - and she hadn't done the assigned reading.

"It's common to say the Gate _vanished_ ," Nishijima continued, "but this isn't exactly true. The area just became inaccessible, so we can't tell if anything's there or not."

"I know," Misaki said. She wanted to question Schroeder, not listen to a prepared lecture from Pandora's director. Time to lay some bait and see if anyone bit. "The physical impenetrability zone. And BK-201 created it. He killed all those people in that atrocity, and yet no one can tell me why."

To her satisfaction, Dr. Schroeder straightened up. "Hold on - you said _he_. I'm afraid you've got it wrong: at the time of the Heaven's Gate incident, the Messier code BK-201 was assigned to a young woman."

 _So I was right? But…_ "How is that possible?"

"We can talk about the past some other day," Nishijima smoothly interrupted. "But right now you need to understand the present. As we speak, the EPR is attempting to cause the same type of destruction that happened in South America right here."

Misaki narrowed her eyes. "May I ask exactly where you got that information?"

"Pandora oversees the Gate these terrorists are targeting; we make it our job to know."

The smugness in his voice was beginning to get on her nerves. But he preempted her next question by clicking to a map of Hell's Gate in Tokyo. "We're calling it the Tokyo Explosion. Based on the Heaven's Gate incident, we've calculated the fallout if the EPR transforms Hell's Gate the same way."

Misaki watched as a tiny red blip at the center of the Gate began to expand: first encompassing Tokyo; then the surrounding cities; then the entire island.

"It would create an impenetrability zone two thousand kilometer's in diameter, blocking out mankind forever," Nishijima said. "The country and everyone in it would vanish. But we're not going to let that happen."

"So you've devised a strategy to stop the attack."

Dr. Schroeder held up a finger. "The only sure way is to annihilate the Gate entirely."

"Destroy the Gate - is that even possible?"

Nishijima nodded, the fluorescent lights reflecting off his glasses and hiding his eyes. "Of course. The wall wasn't just designed to shield our people from the anomaly's dangers; it also houses and protects one of the greatest achievements in modern physics and engineering."

The image on the screen zoomed in to a top-view schematic of Hell's Gate. A ring of lights overlaid the outer wall.

Misaki squinted at it. "What is that?"

"We call it the Saturn system."

"Tonight," Schroeder broke in excitedly, "forty-five days after its onset, the sun spot cycle will reach its peak. This will last approximately thirty minutes, and create powerful anti-Gate particles in the Gate's center. It is within this half-hour window that our system extracts the particles, accelerates them in the Saturn Ring, and smashes them back into the Gate's core, causing a devastating reaction."

"And then Hell's Gate will be completely destroyed?" _God, not physics_. Misaki wished that Kanami was there to help interpret; her friend's endless patience and late-night tutoring sessions had been the only reason that Misaki had passed her college course.

"This concentration of anti-Gate particles cuts both ways," the scientist continued as if he hadn't heard her question. "It's the only time BK-201 can cause the explosion as well."

Nishijima nodded. "That's one of the key lessons we took from Heaven's Gate: that the sun spot peak could be a weapon for either side."

"Compelling, isn't it? After a decade of continuous struggle, the battle between contractors and mankind all comes down to thirty minutes on the clock! Five hours and twenty-seven minutes until the defining moment of the century."

Whatever liking Misaki might have had for Schroeder evaporated. She normally enjoyed people who were enthusiastic about their work, but those were real lives that he speaking of so casually.

The intercom on Nishijima's desk buzzed. "Yes, go ahead," the Pandora director said.

"Central forces have engaged the enemy in the Kida district, sir. They've made their move."

Misaki sat up straighter as Nishijima responded, "Understood."

Schroeder, on the other hand, leaned back comfortably. "Well well, it's started already."

Nishijima pressed a button on the intercom; the metal blinds covering the wall behind his desk began to roll upwards, revealing what looked like a mission control center for a space program. Three huge screens took up the far wall; below them a dozen men and women sat at large computer workstations.

"What is that?" Misaki demanded. But as she watched lines of spectral activity stream across the screens, she realized what it was that she was looking at. "Astronomics is meant to be an independent agency…but you have a direct line to their data in real time." _Well, there's Kanami's mysterious administrative override. Damn I wish they hadn't taken my phone._

~~~~o~~~~

Kanami stood with her arms crossed, surveying the large bank of plasma screens on the wall in front of her. Bright blips of light indicated individual specters as they roamed across the city's power grid, searching for contractor activity. As far as she'd been able to discover, the doll network was still functioning correctly; she just wasn't able to override any of the existing programming. Mizuta was at a workstation in the corner, muttering and swearing to himself as he tried to untangle the access codes.

It had already been a long night. Kanami hadn't wanted to take Hanada aside, worried that she might tip off the Syndicate and ruin Misaki's strategy; but she needed to be back in control of her department. Contractor activity was predicted to be at a five-year high tonight, and not being able to direct her mediums was unacceptable. But it hadn't helped anything. Hanada wasn't the one responsible. At least Kanami wasn't worried about the diffident lab tech anymore; she'd apologized and cried over betraying her chief that Kanami had actually felt _guilty_ for confronting her.

She sighed. The way things were going, it was doubtful that she'd be able to make her breakfast date with Sekine. Then again, if contractor activity really _was_ as high as the predictions were saying, the emergency rooms would be busier than usual; Sekine might end up working an extra shift as well.

"Multiple contractor readings, ma'am," Hanada spoke up from her workstation. "They're all over the sector map."

"'Multiple' doesn't tell me anything - I need precise reports. How many are there?"

"I'm sorry." Hanada turned to face her, worry swimming in her eyes. "I can't count them all!"

"You - what?" Kanami flicked her gaze over to the right-hand screen; specters were swarming over a discrete sector just outside Pandora's main entrance. The blips flitted back and forth, and for a moment it made no sense. Then Kanami realized that that was what Hanada had been telling her: the contractors exhibiting activity outnumbered their dolls. There were too many to even track. "What's going on?" she whispered.

She tried dialing Misaki, but the call went straight to voicemail. Great - either Misaki had let her phone die again, or she was in trouble and didn't have access to it. Normally the former wouldn't have even been an option with Misaki, but lately she'd been a bit scatterbrained, and it wouldn't be the first instance of a neglected battery. Maybe someone on her team would be able to track her down. Kanami scrolled through her contacts list and started with Ootsuka. She paced the floor of the observatory as the phone rang.

~~~~o~~~~

"It's no use," Kouno said as he trotted back to where Saitou stood, several yards from Pandora's gate. "They're not letting anyone in. The guard wouldn't even look at my badge."

"You don't say," Saitou said through gritted teeth. The Chief had been right - whatever was going on, Pandora was in the middle of it.

Sudden gunfire erupted in the distance.

"Do you hear that?" Kouno said, turning in the direction of the sound. "Something big's going down, and it's got contractors written all over it. Maybe we should go back to the office and tell them to -"

"We've been ordered to stand down. They called me while you were talking to the guard - they want our whole division to report to headquarters." The Syndicate's orders, no doubt; they would want anyone with the ability to interfere with…whatever they were doing, off the streets and out of the way. "If we go back there now, they won't let us leave until it's done."

"But we're Public Security!"

"That's what I said!" It had been a useless argument, but he'd had to try. "We're the most experienced with contractors, but they don't want us to fight. What's Upstairs thinking?"

 _Worried about which side we'll choose, maybe?_ The Syndicate was making their move, and the Chief was in Pandora while her team was sitting helplessly on the sidelines. He thought he understood a bit more now how she had been so willing to work outside the law in order to investigate.

Outside the law…where was BK-201 during all of this? Regardless of which side he'd chosen - Syndicate or EPR - Saitou suspected that he would want to help extract the Chief if he could. But Saitou had no way of getting in touch with him; he and Kouno would just have to figure it out on their own.

~~~~o~~~~

Hei, Yin, and Mao emerged from Wei's blood-spattered tunnel into the desolate wasteland that was the interior of the Gate. Gazing up at the barren trees and clouded night sky above them, Hei repressed a shudder. This might be that Pandora job all over again. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to handle it if he saw his sister's ghost for a second time.

But Yin had been there for him, before. And she was here now. Mao was too. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

"So this is what it's like in the Gate," Mao said, scanning the street.

Cars stood empty and rusting, trash bins were overturned - but there was no litter anywhere, no old clothes, no corpses. It was completely empty. Then a flash of blue caught Hei's eye, emerging from the concrete; Mao saw it too.

"It's a specter!" the cat said in surprise.

"It's calling us." Without hesitation, Yin walked towards the specter.

"Wait, Yin - be careful!" Mao called. "We don't know whose side they're on!"

"This way." She didn't wait for them to join her, but took a step forward and disappeared into a ripple in the air.

Mao cringed. "Come back!"

It was strange, certainly. But Hei had seen stranger around the Gates; and he had a feeling that Yin would have known if she was heading into anything dangerous. He followed her, Mao's warnings blurring oddly in his ears as he stepped through the portal.

A wave of charged air washed over him; then he was through. He was standing with Yin on a mirrored surface that looked…off, somehow. Then he realized what it was: a glass skyscraper, turned on its side. Or rather, _they_ were standing on its side, while it was standing straight. Hei took a careful step forward; he may as well have been walking down the street.

Mao stepped out of the portal with a quiet jingle. "Where are we? You guys seeing this too? Mysteries of the Gate, huh?," the cat muttered as they headed off towards another beckoning specter. "I'm so happy I came along."

They walked, following a trail of specters. Each time they reach one of the little blue ghosts it would point them towards a junction, or another invisible portal. Hei was completely lost within minutes; he realized that when he'd been at Pandora those months ago, he'd barely even brushed the edge of the true Gate. Inside it was another world. He could only hope that there would be a path to follow out once more.

The jingling of a bell caught his hear; he turned to see Mao lagging some way behind them, shaking his head.

"Sorry," the cat said as he trotted up to rejoin Hei and Yin. "I'm trying to dig up any information on the Syndicate's network that might be useful; I keep getting hung up on firewalls. Hard to hack and walk at the same time, I guess."

"Yin, can you carry him?"

In answer, she bent down and scooped Mao up. He _oofed_ as has the air left his lungs, but settled in her arms without compliant.

They walked for what felt like hours; without the stars overhead, it was impossible to track time. And Hei had a feeling that even if there stars _could_ be seen, the light would be too distorted to be any kind of reference at all. Shadows shifted and stretched oddly, keeping him on edge. Logically he knew that there were no other living beings inside the walls of the Gate beyond the three of them and Amber; but logic didn't rule here.

Mao let out a strangled yelp; Hei tensed immediately, one hand gripping the hilt of his knife. "Mao, what happened?"

The cat was dangling loosely in Yin's arms. "I hacked into Pandora's server and looked through some old theories and research papers from their scientists. Security found me - but before they did, I found an interesting thesis. It discusses dolls and surveillance specters inside the Gate: they found that a single doll experiences great pain when sending a specter here; and it's more debilitating the deeper they go. But by creating a network of linked dolls and amplifying their power with the meteor shard, it should be possible to send specters all the way to the center. Beacons, to light the way."

Was that why Amber had stolen the meteor shard - to guide them here? Yin had sent that specter to him, when he had been so shaken by the sight of his phantom sister. He hoped that it hadn't hurt her to do so.

Then something else that Mao had said caught up with him. "You read research papers?"

Mao snorted. "I didn't always used to be a cat, you know. I'd just finished my doctorate in applied physics when I became a contractor. That's how the Syndicate first recruited me."

Hei had had no idea. He'd never bothered to learn any details about any of his teammates, past or present, beyond what was necessary for the job at hand. He hadn't cared. Now, he wished that he'd taken the time to…talk. What had been Huang's job, before?

"I think I stayed in their server too long," Mao said almost sleepily. "I feel my mind slipping. I don't have much time left; it's been good working with this team."

Hei's heart clenched. "No, Mao."

"One day, if a black cat like me comes calling…" his voice trailed off; then the cat in Yin's arms yowled and squirmed. She dropped it, and it promptly scampered off down the dead-tree-lined street and into the gloom.

Yin examined her finger, then sucked delicately at it. Hei caught sight of a small drop of crimson. "Let me see."

She held up her hand: the cut was long and shallow, and starting to bleed more. Hei cut a thin strip of black fabric from his shirt and tied it tightly around her finger. The pressure would slow the flow of blood and help numb the pain; though he didn't think that the pain in her eyes was physical.

Or maybe he was just projecting his own feelings.

~~~~o~~~~

Dr. Schroeder poured out two cups of coffee; Misaki left hers sitting on the table in front of her.

"Our research has shown us that the two gates are actually like a single passageway, with two sides," the scientist was saying. He fished a piece of notebook paper out of the pocket of his lab coat and unfolded it; then he used a pen to punch a hole through the paper. "And if you close the opening on one side," he pushed the flaps of paper back down over the pen hole, "the other will disappear as well."

The visual aid was helping Misaki understand better than his previous attempts; but she couldn't care less about the mechanics. "So, if the Gates cease to exist…what will happen to the contractors?"

Schroeder leaned forward and tipped a couple of spoons of sugar into his cup. "Like the sugar in this cup of coffee, they will immediately dissolve."

"Dissolve? You're talking about thousands of people!"

"Believe me, it's true. We've done numerous tests -"

Misaki jerked to her feet, her arms stiff at her sides. "That's genocide - you can't do this! They may be changed, but they're still _people_ \- you can't judge them all guilty and condemn them to death!"

Nishijima, who had been silent during the doctor's explanations, now spoke up, his voice cold. "So we should sit on our hands for the sake of a few thousand, while they take the lives of over a hundred million people?"

Misaki had no answer to that; neither possibility was one that she could accept. But if they were right, and it was Hei's power and his power alone that could cause such an explosion…then it _had_ been his sister who had annihilated Heaven's Gate five years ago. And that was what Amber wanted from him now. Was _that_ what had been weighing so heavily on his mind tonight? For all her earlier doubts, she didn't believe him capable of such an act. But if the alternative was the permanent erasure of all contractors and dolls…

The door to the office opened behind her, interrupting her thoughts. Misaki turned to the newcomer - only to see Hourai step inside.

He cast her a stern look. "It's easy to talk of humanism; but to turn a blind eye to reality in the name of ideals, while you put your nation at risk, is something a policeman should never do, Kirihara."

"Director?" Misaki said weakly. Who was he to tell her what a policeman should or shouldn't do?

"I apologize for my subordinate's rudeness, Mr. Nishijima."

"Oh, no, I enjoy the enthusiasm she brings to her job. I'll let you take it from here - as you know, there's a lot of work to be done."

Misaki frowned at the patronizing tone, but for the first time all night, worry began to eat at the edges of her mind. Nishijima and Schroeder hadn't held anything back; knowledge couldn't be un-shared. If she didn't dance to whatever tune they played, she could be in very real danger. But why tell her anything at all - why risk it? She still couldn't figure that out.

Nishijima exited his office; Dr. Schroeder followed closer behind. "I'll see you around, young lady," the doctor said. The door shut behind them, leaving her alone with Hourai.

The Director stood looking out onto the control room floor. He didn't turn when he spoke. "Activating the Saturn Ring was a very difficult decision for us to make."

"Really," Misaki said flatly. She didn't buy that for one minute. _Well, to hell with it_. "So you're telling me that you're one of them." He turned slightly, eyes narrowed, but she continued, "Pandora is nothing but a research organization under the authority of the UN. They have absolutely no authority to make policy, especially when it affects the future of a whole nation. This is an abuse of power and a clear violation of international law. We both know that. For Pandora to get away with this - without any suspicion or resistance from the government - they would need the backing of an incredible power. This is what November 11 tried to prove: a secret organization with unimaginable influence and reach."

"You shouldn't think of us as some mysterious bogeyman," he said, unperturbed by her allegations. "The truth is, you've already been working for us for a long time now."

It made her skin crawl to know that he was right. She regretted her voice recorder more than ever now, but even if she couldn't make a record, she could at least learn as much as possible. "What do you mean - tell me."

"To maintain world stability, the Syndicate's reach extends to intelligence agencies, governments, and power brokers throughout the world - including you."

"I see. And BK-201 as well?"

"As a matter of fact, that's correct. His codename is Hei. He's been one of our key operatives - although we now suspect he's gone rogue."

Misaki tried not to react to that last statement, but she couldn't stop her pulse from picking up. Had the Syndicate taken action against Hei and his team - was he alright?

"You're really telling me the truth," she said, half-disbelieving still. "So after all the cover-ups, why reveal this now? I could react like November did."

Hourai didn't even blink are the implied threat. "Killing you would be simple enough. However, our organization is always in need of exceptional personnel. We've been grooming you."

All those little nudges from her father - pushes towards a promotion, networking meetings with people she had no desire to meet - just how long had they been prepping her for a role in the Syndicate?

It didn't matter. "You're making the assumption that I agree with your philosophy and ideals," Misaki told him.

"Humans are flawed," Hourai said coldly. "War is in our blood; and when we fight, there can't be justice for all. All we can do is look for the path of least error, and know our sacrifices are needed. That's our job - to dirty our hands for the sake of mankind. Life is ugly. It's time to grow up."

~~~~o~~~~

Gradually, the pale light of morning began to seep into the interior of the Gate. A chalky white mist formed and hovered over the ground as Hei and Yin walked. Hei's feet told him that they'd traveling for only a couple of hours, but to his mind it may as well have been days.

Waiting on the stone post of a footbridge just up ahead was another specter. It flickered as they approached, then disappeared. They stood for several minutes, but nothing happened. There was no portal, no junction, no Amber. They were at a dead end. Hei knew on instinct that it would be impossible for them to backtrack and leave the Gate the way they had come.

He should have found some place for Yin to hide, rather than bring her here. Now she was trapped along with him, and -

Yin was standing with her eyes squeezed shut, as if in pain.

"What's the matter?" Hei asked in worry.

She opened her eyes, then climbed up onto the stone railing of the bridge.

"Hold on - Yin!" Before Hei realized her purpose, she had dropped out of sight. He ran to the railing and looked over. It was only seven feet or so below; Yin was standing ankle-deep in a pool of still water.

She raised a thin arm, pointing. "That way."

Hei's worry evaporated into relief, and he jumped down to join her.

They walked for another quarter of an hour, though Hei couldn't tell what distance they covered, following the water. At last, he spotted a broken piece of a pier emerging through the mist. Waiting on the warped and sun-bleached boards was a girl of about five, with long blond hair and wearing a too-long pink dress that was torn at the bottom to allow her to walk without tripping over it.

He didn't need to see her golden-brown eyes to know exactly who she was. Her smile would never change.


	22. Chapter 22

"You really came," Amber said with a smile that looked like relief, betraying her usual claim to precognizance.

"Of course."

Then again, maybe she really _couldn't_ use her power to turn back time and rewrite the future any longer. She was young, dangerously young; Hei now understood why she had been so sparing of her ability during the war. Amber had once talked of utilizing her price to live forever; it was hard for him to believe that she could have devoted herself to a cause, any cause, that would have cost her this much. But it was the only explanation, and he found himself no longer able to hate her; not until he knew he reasons, at least.

"Thanks for showing him the way, Yin. I guess the others are dead?" She sounded genuinely saddened by the idea.

Yin nodded.

"I'm sorry; I'd save them if I could. But as you can see, there's no time to spare."

~~~~o~~~~

"Another star just fell," Hanada said numbly. "That was the sixth in the last hour; thirty-second total."

Kanami looked over her latest data printout. "And the activity is showing no signs of slowing down." Thirty-two contractors dead in one city, in one night - nothing like that had happened since the South American war.

"At least the noise interference from that second surveillance system is gone," Mizuta commented, but Kanami just shook her head. There were only two reasons for a network that large to abruptly disappear like that, and based on the images of fires and explosions surrounding Pandora that had currently taken over the internet, it hadn't been due to someone simply pulling the plug. All those mediums…

She took a deep breath and returned to the situation at hand. "Kokura, I want an update on the progress of the sun spot peak - how much time to do we have left on the clock. Hanada, pull two others and work up a profile of each of the fallen stars - Section Four is going to need it, soon." _I hope; surely the superintendent won't keep them out of the field for much longer_. "Mizuta, stay on those codes."

"Um…"

She turned to see Ootsuka hovering just behind her shoulder. "What is it - were you able to track down Misaki? Where is she?"

The other woman nodded, her face pale. "Pandora."

Kanami sighed, and pressed her fingers to her temple in frustration. "Of course she is." _Goddamn it, Misaki, you'd better have a plan that isn't 'show up at their door and ask questions until I learn something interesting'_. "I hope she at least has some kind of exit strategy - with all the contractor activity happening there, she could be trapped for hours. And god help us all if they manage to actually get in."

"The rest of the team is trying to find a way to get to her," Ootsuka said. "But Pandora isn't letting any non-military through, and it's too dangerous for them to get close."

"You know how to read the sector maps, right?"

The other woman nodded.

The glimmering of an idea had occurred to Kanami; it wouldn't be much help, but it might be _something_. She lowered her voice. "This is technically against regulations, so don't mention it on any official paperwork. Or to anyone important. Or to anyone, really. But keep an eye on the contractor locations and relay them to Saitou and the others; see if you can find them an opening anywhere. I want to check on something else."

Ootsuka nodded again and fixed her eyes on one of the workstations. Kanami began walking the periphery of the room, stopping briefly to check the monitors of each of the mediums despite the flurry of activity around the workstations. When she reached Eunice, she laid a hand on the glass stasis chamber.

"Remember that conversation we had a couple weeks ago, about hacking into off-grid systems?" she asked quietly. Technically it had been a one-sided conversation; Eunice was completely nonverbal even outside the chamber, despite her understanding of spoken language. But Kanami had worked out a basic communication method and was pretty sure that the medium and herself had understood each other.

Eunice's right hand made a fist, then opened again. _Yes_.

"Do you think that you can jump off our network, even with someone else pulling the strings right now?"

_Yes_.

Kanami smiled despite her stress. "I thought you could. Look, Misaki's trapped somewhere in Pandora, and her team can't reach her. Even if they manage to get in, there's no guarantee they'll be able to find her - I've visited a few times, and that place is a maze. I'm going to connect you to Hanada's new tracking program; _if_ you can, hack into Pandora's grid and see if you can locate her."

_Yes_.

"But _be careful_ \- I don't know what kind of security against intruding specters they have. Hopefully they'll be distracted by all the chaos outside; but this is just a long shot, and it's not worth losing you over. Just do what you can."

Maybe it would be no help at all. But Kanami couldn't just stand by and watch as the Syndicate rendered her helpless.

~~~~o~~~~

"I thought there'd be some kind of hole, or portal, or something," Amber said. "But there's nothing here, is there. It's a lonely place."

They were in a square in front of a shrine. It looked like a place for tourists, with paper lanterns hanging from the eaves outside of closed up shops and an abandoned vendor cart here and there. Amber seated herself on a bench beneath a bamboo umbrella, though there was no sun from which to seek shade; the mist had risen and was pressing in on all sides. Hei sat down next to her, feeling a bit adrift in the fog.

Yin was standing with one hand dipped in an ornate fountain that was somehow still running. "I can't take us any closer," she said.

"This is good enough. Back in South America, we didn't even get this close to the core." Amber was silent for a moment; then she turned to Hei. "You don't seem angry anymore. I know I have the girl and the cat to thank for that; they passed on my message. Now you know the truth."

The truth hadn't been anything that he'd expected. "All this time," Hei said slowly. "I was never interested in hearing your reasons for fighting." Because it hadn't mattered. They were mercenaries, contractors; they didn't need a _reason_ to fight. He was still having trouble understanding it.

"And now you are?"

"Have you really been fighting the Syndicate ever since South America? Even during Heaven's War?"

Amber nodded. "We didn't have as many members then, but yes. It took us a long time to realize the Syndicate's motives. I fought that war countless times before I got it right."

She tilted her head back, looking up as if she could see the stars high overhead, through the mist and the sunlight. "Long after, I'd see many more stars than this fall, and disappear. Why have we spied? Why have we killed for human governments who pit us against each other? We didn't ask questions; we just followed orders and took our earnings. We're contractors, after all: cold, rational beings. That was only our infancy; and like children, we started to grow. There wasn't one person who led us, and we didn't change overnight. We were all evolving, gradually, and before we knew it we were calling each other friends and sharing all sorts of information. Your sister was one of the first."

"Bai was?" He struggled to remember if there had been any sign, any hint that she had been anything other than the cold-blooded contractor that he'd known her as.

"She was also the first one who discovered the Syndicate's plans. It's only natural you didn't find out; you're the last person in the world she wanted to get dragged into the this. All she's done, she did to protect you."

Hei stared down at his feet. That wasn't right. He'd devoted himself to protecting _her_ ; he would have died for her, easily. It wasn't supposed to be the other way around.

"After all," Amber continued in a sad tone that Hei had so often accused her of faking, but now suspected might actually be genuine, "you weren't the same as us - you were a human. And you still are."

He looked up in surprise. Still human…he'd known that, deep down, all this time. But he'd convinced himself otherwise; it was easier that way. As a human, he had no purpose. Not without Bai.

"It would have been hard on you, right? Choosing between humans and contractors? That's why you weren't told about Heaven's Gate."

"When did she change?" Hei asked abruptly. "From being so rational?"

Amber considered the question. "I don't know," she said. "It happened over time. You started working for the Syndicate to stay near her, and show her that you were on her side after she became a contractor. But, she knew how hard the work was for you, and that made her sad. Little by little, it changed her. And…if you're wondering how I know how she felt then, it's because I felt the same way."

So some of it had been real, then. He'd been so ready to believe the worst of contractors - even Amber, even Bai - that he hadn't allowed himself to see it.

"You know, they're changing too - the dolls," Amber said, nodding at Yin. "It may be harder to tell with them, but it's true. They're evolving like the rest of us; and what they're evolving to, I can't say."

Hei watched Yin trailing her hand in the water. _She's changing into herself_ , he thought. _The person who she's always been, inside_. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he felt it to be true.

"I don't know who created the Gates or why, but the contracts we entered into were only the beginning of something that may not be realized for another century, or millennium, or ten millennia. But that's not for us to know, or expect to know. The only thing that matters now is that we survive."

"How come you never told me this before? Why did you leave me in the dark, even after Heaven's Gate?"

"Because you blamed me for Bai's disappearance," Amber said simply. "And you wouldn't have trusted me. Besides, if you'd known you would have tried to leave the Syndicate, and you never would have survived this long. Trust me - we've been down this path."

_You don't know that_ , Hei thought, the old annoyance at her certainty resurfacing despite the fact that she was most likely right. But before he could ask another question, Yin spoke up.

"I heard them. They said it would come soon."

"What will?"

Amber slipped down from the bench and paced towards the street clock at the front of the square. "The annihilation of Hell's Gate and every single contractor. That's what we're here to stop."

She turned back to Hei, and when she spoke again, it was in the cold tones of the contractor she had been at the start of the war. "Do you want to see Bai?"

~~~~o~~~~

A tranquil blue morning sky with wisps of white clouds was rippling across the Gate's camouflaging surface, but it was no reflection. Cracks and gaping holes pitted the wall while thick smoke rose, making it appear as if the sky itself was burning. The street, however, was quiet.

Saitou watched the armed Pandora guards on watch from around the corner of a grocery store. "There's no doubting it now. Whatever's happened, it's moved inside." And still no word of the Chief.

"So what do we do?" Kouno asked. "We're hardly equipped to take on special forces." He looked at the old metal tray and wooden block in his hands that he'd scrounged from the store's trash pile, then dropped them.

Saitou was a little more reluctant to let go of his broom - after all, it was better than _nothing_ \- but he lowered it when his phone rang. He looked at the ID. "It's Ootsuka," he told Kouno, then answered, "Now what?"

"Don't take things out on me," the liaison officer snapped. "No one's answering at the office; Astronomics is in chaos. What's happening?" She lowered her voice; Saitou had to strain to hear her. "To be honest, Saitou, I'm freaked out. This is it - we're at the peak of the sun spot cycle, like Heaven's Gate. Is it our turn? Are we going to be wiped off the map too?"

Saitou didn't know what to tell her. _Yes_ was probably too honest, and not at all helpful. But Ootsuka had done them a huge favor by monitoring contractor hot spots; the two men probably wouldn't have survived the night outside Pandora otherwise. He couldn't just leave her hanging.

"I don't know," he said. "Just keep focusing on your work; the peak will pass soon. We just have to wait it out."

Ootsuka sighed over the phone. "Look, if you manage to get inside, call me right away. Chief Ishizaki was able to locate Chief Kirihara inside Pandora. I can direct you to her from here."

Gunfire erupted just outside Pandora's gates, dampening the hope that had sprung up at Ootsuka's words; Saitou ended the call and joined Kouno at the corner.

Pandora forces were firing on two young boys who had just emerged from a cross street. Both of them were surrounded by synchrotron radiation. One of the boys had erected some kind of force field to stop the onslaught of bullets. Saitou didn't see the second boy make any kind of move, but a yawning black emptiness at least fifty feet in diameter opened up beneath Pandora's men, dropping them and a couple of tanks into god knew where. Moments later, two heat-seeking missiles shot out of the smoky haze towards the boys; when the smoke cleared, the young contractors were gone.

"Things really have gone to hell," Kouno breathed. "It's like a freakin' war zone!"

Tires squealed behind them; Saitou hefted his broom, ready to ward off an attack - or at least go down swinging - but when he turned, it was to see Matsumoto's car screech to a halt.

"Sorry I'm late," the older officer called out the window. "Now let's move! If we want to get inside, this confusion will be our best chance."

Saitou and Kouno raced to the car. Saitou pulled open the rear door; several suits of riot gear were stacked across the back seat.

"Know the stakes, boys," Matsumoto said, looking grim. "Contractors aren't the only ones we'll be up against."

Saitou nodded; so did Kouno, though he still looked a bit confused. They climbed into the car, and Matsumoto sped straight for the military's blockade.

~~~~o~~~~

Amber held up the disc-like meteor shard that Hei had stolen from Pandora months ago; it glinted dully in the diffuse light. "The Gate's a strange place," she said. "Before I came here, I broke this and gave the pieces to the others; but now that we need it, it's complete again."

"What are you planning to do?"

"The same thing we did in Heaven's Gate: release Bai's power before the Syndicate fires their weapon. We'll make it so no one can put either Gate in jeopardy again. Our future will be secure. Please, Hei." She held out the shard to him. "It's time."

None of this made any sense. Bai was _gone_. "It's her power, why are you asking me?"

"Are you serious?" Amber said, her voice infused with uncharacteristic impatience. "Haven't you realized it by now? Bai's been with you since the moment you thought she died! She _fused_ with you - that's why you have power without a price. It's her."

Hei stared at Amber in shocked silence. That couldn't be true. And if it was, if his sister had sacrificed herself like that, for him…how could he ever forgive her for it.

"Your sister's power goes beyond electric shocks," Amber continued. "She can alter matter on the quantum level; that's how she fused with you. How she'll transform Hell's Gate. Release her; and you'll finally see Bai again."

"And what happens to this city?" Hei demanded. "Yes, I want to see Bai more than anything - but if I do release her power, what happens then? To this country, and every person in the explosion's path? They die, right? Just like South America! Well, _I_ can't do that!"

Amber's voice was hard and flat when she answered, "Then all the contractors and dolls are dead. I'm gone. Yin is too. Just like that - every one of us vanishes. Every one of us but _you_ , Hei."

~~~~o~~~~

"Confirmed, sir," one of the techs said. "We're in the final stages of the sun spot cycle. Garking waves have reached maximum levels. Anti-Gate particles collected in the ring. System is _go_."

Dr. Schroeder was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement; Misaki watched him with disgust. "Transfer particles in the ring to the secondary collection station and fire up the accelerator! The great race has begun - either EPR gets us or we hit them first!"

"Activate all cameras and detection scanners in the sector," Nishijima said levelly. "I want BK-201 on that screen."

The scientist waved a hand. "Without the doll network's guidance not even their top agent could find the center of Hell's Gate. What's the point?"

"I want to be sure." The Pandora director's voice was colder than any contractor's.

Was Hei really inside the Gate at this moment, Misaki wondered. It made her sick with worry to think that he was wandering, lost and alone, in that forbidding place. If she had to, she would go in and find him herself. If she ever got out _here_ , anyway. Hourai had brought her down to the control room floor, and hadn't once let her out of his sight. There was nothing she could do but watch, and it was killing her.

"Cannon set," the tech announced; Misaki's heart was pounding in her chest. "Anti-Gate particles transferred to collector. Ready for entry. Beam aimed for the core; all paths clear. Beginning final phase: one hundred eighty seconds until we can fire, sir. I'm enabling your console now."

"Here we are, people - the home stretch!" With an unnerving cackle of laughter, Dr. Schroeder turned a key in the desktop in front of him, opening up a small control panel. Misaki tensed at the edge of her chair, her hands griping the armrests.

"Particles fully accelerated. Anti-Gate beam reaching critical point! Target locked on; lens focus error correction complete. All systems _go_."

"I'll start the countdown." Nishijima took a step forward, but Dr. Schroeder jumped ahead of him.

"Mr. Nishijima - I'd like to do the honors myself, if I could!" Without waiting for an answer, the scientist snatched the little microphone from the desk. "The defining moment of our century! Twenty…"

"Imaging complete," a tech said as the countdown continued. "Center of the Gate."

The central wall screen flickered; the digital sector map was replaced with a hazy image. The background was unclear, but Misaki could make out three silhouettes: a woman in a dress, a man in a long coat, and a small child. Yin and Hei - and the child could only be Amber. She was offering what looked like a shining star to Hei. _He really is there_.

"Has he lost his nerve?" Hourai muttered, staring at the screen as well.

Misaki leapt to her feet. "He won't attack us - he's not trying to cause any explosions! He isn't a threat!"

"Seven!" Schroeder announced, completely ignoring her.

"Look, he's not doing anything - stop the countdown!" Misaki rushed forward to push the scientist away from the switch that would destroy all contractors forever; but Hourai caught her upper arm in a vice-like grip. She struggled, but it was like trying to break steel with her bare hands.

"Three! Two! One!"

~~~~o~~~~

Hei didn't move to take the meteor shard. He couldn't stand the thought of losing Yin, Amber, or even all those other faceless contractors who were currently fighting for their existence; but neither could he sentence an entire nation to death. A nation full of people he cared for as well. He didn't know what to do.

Then without warning, Amber leaned forward and pressed the shard against his chest. White light burst from the contact and consumed his entire vision.

~~~~o~~~~

"Zero!"

Misaki watched helplessly as Nishijima pressed the switch.

Hei opened his eyes, only to be met with a bewildering golden light. The haze around him shimmered, then faded away to reveal a night sky full of glittering constellations. At first his heart lifted - there was the Flying Fish, the Drum at the River, and the constellation that he had been named after, _Tian Dajiangjun_. And then he remembered Amber, the Gate, the light.

He'd left his decision until it was too late. If the stars of his childhood were here, then that meant that everyone else was gone. He staggered forward a few steps, then sank to his knees, feeling as lost and alone as he had been that night ten years ago when his life had been ripped from him.

How many nights had he laid awake, wishing for nothing more than to be back by that lakeside, watching the stars with his family. Now the stars were here, but nothing could bring his parents back. His sister. All because of the choice that he'd failed to make.

"But…why?" he sobbed to moonlit night. "Millions of people…now they're all gone! I didn't want this. I didn't want to hurt _anyone_."

"What's wrong?"

Hei blinked back his tears, and pulled his features into the emotionless expression of the Black Reaper before turning to face Bai. "There's nothing wrong."

"You're lying."

"I like killing."

She had to believe that, or she would leave him. Then they both would be alone; he didn't want her to be alone, even if she didn't care herself.

"Tell me the truth!" Bai ordered coldly.

He told her the lie that he'd spent years convincing himself was true. "These people deserved to die."

His sister was asleep in his arms; his hand was on her throat, preparing to squeeze.

"If you believe that," Bai said, opening her eyes to fix him with a sad gaze, "then why are you crying, Hei?"

Hei jerked his hand away, and suddenly she was gone; he was standing alone once again in the shimmering golden haze. The stars were hidden once again. It…hadn't happened yet?

"You hate it," Bai said behind him. "People you kill haunt you. You can't sleep because every life you end takes you farther from who you want to be. You only started because you didn't want me to be alone out there. You played the part of a mercenary for my sake, but it's not you at all."

He whirled on her. "You're wrong - I'm the Black Reaper!"

"No, you're not." She reached up and removed his mask; he hadn't even realized that he'd been wearing it. "You're just my brother, who loves me." Then her expression softened, and for the first time in ten years, he saw Xing looking out through the contractor's eyes. "It's okay; stop fighting yourself."

Hei stared at her, not understanding her words.

"For godsakes, listen to the girl!" A hand grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and suddenly Huang was snarling in his face. "Stop acting like you're some kind of hard ass. You know how many freakin' headaches you cause me, just 'cause you couldn't figure out who you were? Pull it together!"

Huang shoved him away; too stunned to react, Hei fell hard to the ground.

"But that's also what made you so interesting, Hei," a voice said from behind him.

"Mao?"

The cat, rather than answering, scratched at his collar.

"Interesting, sure - but I never thought you'd become too paralyzed to make a choice either way," said another voice. Hei watched with a start as the MI-6 contractor, November, emerged from the golden mist. "It's no wonder I started to doubt whether you were truly a contractor."

Other contractors were appearing as well; with a jolt Hei spotted Carmine, wrapped in her ratty blanket and smiling down at him. Alma, Shihoko, faces that he remembered from South America but couldn't put a name to.

Huang jabbed a finger at him. "You get it yet? Everything's jacked up because you're a regular human pretending to be a contractor. But that also gives you the solution: if you can't choose one over the other, then you choose both."

"Act like a contractor and a human at the same time," Mao said.

"Now you're talkin'." Huang grinned.

Someone reached out a hand to help Hei to his feet; he looked up and recognized Nick, the CIA contractor who had shared both his power and his love of the stars. Hei took his hand, and stood. He looked to Bai, who nodded, smiling faintly. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd seen her smile.

"Is that your answer, Hei?"

He turned to see Amber, standing off to the side, alone. She was as he'd known her during the war: in her early twenties, with long, pale blond hair; soft curves, and an even softer voice.

"Are you absolutely sure that's what you want? Choosing both only means more confusion for you - please, I want you to understand that." She stepped up to him, the top of her head reaching just to cheek. She'd been taller before; or rather, he was the one who had grown. "If you leave Hell's Gate exposed, the Syndicate will never stop trying to destroy it. They'll come after you - and that means you'll have to keep killing."

He knew that, and he hated it; he wanted nothing more than to be a normal human again, living a normal life, without the violence that had haunted him for so long. But he would do what needed to do to protect the ones he cared about. That was what he'd always done.

Amber's expression turned angry when he didn't disagree. "You said you'd had enough, didn't you? You searched for so long for what you lost, and now you're going to lose it again? Your sister, the stars - don't you want to be safe and have everything you love?! Don't -"

Hei pulled her into an embrace, cutting off her words. She'd done what she'd had to do as well, to protect what she loved, even though it had hurt her to do so. He wished that it hadn't had to be this way.

"But why?" she whispered into his shoulder. "I know how much you've wanted this and I know that's what kept you going. It's what kept me going, too."

"Are you sure _he's_ the one who's not ready to let go?" November commented from the sidelines.

Hei held her more tightly. "Amber…you know…"

He had no idea how to explain it to her. What she'd meant to him; how much her sacrifice had hurt him as well. But she saved him from trying to find the words with a soft kiss. Her lips were warm and familiar, and only made the pain worse.

"Let's leave it at that, okay?" Amber said sadly, and stepped back to stand with his sister.

"Goodbye, Hei. I'll be near," Bai smiled.

"I know that, now. Thanks, Xing." He looked at the sea of faces, watching him from the mist. "Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye…Amber."

Hers was the last face that he saw as the golden haze rose up in front of him to be replaced by the cold fog of the Gate's interior. Amber appeared before him once again, smiling sadly from the body of a toddler. Then she vanished, and he was falling into darkness.

The black swirled around him, pulling at him, wrapping cold hands around his throat. His chest tightened in panic; he reached for his knives but he was unarmed and defenseless. Air rushed by, filling his ears.

Then a voice echoed quietly in the chaos. "Hei."

"Yin!" Where was she? He couldn't see a thing, but he tried to orient himself towards the sound of her voice.

"Hei, come back," Yin called with an urgency that he'd never heard from her before.

"How?"

"Please…don't leave me here alone."

It was the fear in her voice that spurred him on. He pressed back against the darkness, striving to get back to her. A faint blue glow appeared ahead of him; he pushed closer and saw that it was a specter, in the shape of a thin hand. Yin. He reached out and closed his fingers around the ghostlike hand as the darkness swallowed him completely.

Hei opened his eyes. He was back at the shrine, Yin's small hand held tightly in his own. He was breathing hard, as if he just run a marathon. What, exactly, had just happened?

"Hei." Yin's soft voice, tinged with relief, snapped him back to the present.

"Where's Amber?"

Yin nodded to the base of the street clock, where a torn dress lay empty on the concrete. The hands of the clock were bent, almost melted, out of shape.

"She turned back time with the last of her power," Hei realized. "She planned that, from the very beginning." A mix of emotions began to well up, but he pushed them away. He could deal with that later. Right now, he couldn't let her sacrifice go to waste. He gripped Yin's hand. "Let's go."

~~~~o~~~~

"Imaging complete," a tech said as the countdown continued. "Center of the Gate."

The central wall screen flickered; the digital sector map was replaced with a hazy image. The background was unclear, but Misaki could see that the place was empty.

"He isn't there," Hourai muttered, staring at the screen as well.

Misaki leapt to her feet. "There's no danger - he's clearly not going to cause an explosion! We have no reason to fire!"

"Seven!" Schroeder announced, completely ignoring her.

"He's not even in the sector - stop the countdown!" Misaki rushed forward to push the scientist away from the switch that would destroy all contractors forever; but Hourai caught her upper arm in a vice-like grip. She struggled, but it was like trying to break steel with her bare hands.

"Three! Two! One…Zero!"

Misaki watched helplessly as Nishijima pressed the switch.

…nothing happened. He pressed it again, then again. The technicians looked at each other, clearly bewildered.

"Why didn't it fire?" Nishijima demanded of the closest tech.

"I don't know, sir," the man said, scanning his monitor anxiously. "Wait - I'm detecting a synchrotron reaction inside the ring - it's expanding fast!"

"Well, what's causing it?"

Before the tech could answer, the lights of the control room flickered and went out; but the monitors stayed on - they must have been on a different circuit. A blue glow began to fill the room; everyone stared at each other and their own hands and arms, all limned with synchrotron radiation. It was just like the other night, at the office building. Where Hei…

Misaki felt a new weight in her jacket pocket, where her voice recorder had been before security had removed it.

"Look!" someone shouted, pulling her attention to one of the large wall screens. It was a video feed from inside the Saturn Ring; standing at some kind of electrical junction was the unmistakable figure of the Black Reaper.

"BK-201!" Misaki exclaimed, her heart in her throat.

"Use the defenses - take that bastard out!"

As if he'd heard Nishijima's angry order, Hei whipped his carabiner off to the side and flew out of the camera frame. The glow died down; just as Misaki was beginning to breathe normally again, the front wall of the control room exploded outward. Bright sunlight flooded in as everyone stared in shock.

"There should still be enough energy for a second discharge." The technicians all turned to stare at Nishijima. "Get to work," he ordered.

No one made a move.

"It's no use."

Nishijima eyed Dr. Schroeder coldly. "No? Why the hell not?"

The scientist stuffed his hands casually into his lab coat pockets. "To engineer that kind of reaction inside the system, BK-201 would have had to completely transform the anti-Gate particles at the quantum level - that explains the glow we saw. It's called _special particle luminance_ : he was changing molecules similar to how humans are changed into contractors. We can't fire anti-Gate particles because, well, they no longer exist!"

Misaki listened to the explanation in confusion. Hei could do that with his power? How on earth had he known _how_ to do that?

"It's really quite something," Schroeder continued appreciatively. "Here I thought he'd cause a repeat of South America, altering the matter _around_ the Gate in a way that would destroy us all in the process. But instead, he used the same concept for a pinpoint attack on the Saturn system itself. Since we're still breathing, I can't complain!"

Without warning, Nishijima punched the scientist in the face. Misaki gasped as Schroeder collapsed to the ground with a surprised grunt of pain.

"Get this failure out of here," Nishijima began, then froze, looking past Misaki warily.

She realized why when she heard the click of a round being chambered in a handgun behind her. She turned slowly; Hourai had his weapon trained on Nishijima.

"Director?" Misaki asked in disbelief.

Nishijima squared his shoulders. "The Syndicate wouldn't dare get rid of me -"

Hourai fired twice. Nishijima jerked as the bullet pierced his chest; then he collapsed to the floor, blood pumping steadily from the wounds.

The echo of the gunshots hung in the air for a brief moment while everyone in the room stood frozen in shock. Then Dr. Schroeder let out a strangled scream and fled the room; the technicians followed in a mad rush. Misaki, however, stayed exactly where she was. Casually, she slipped her left hand into her jacket pocket.

Hourai paced calmly to the body of the former Pandora director. "Our department was conducting an undercover investigation inside Pandora," he told Misaki without turning to look at her. "Nishijima was guilty of violating UN law and criminal insurrection." He crouched down and placed his gun on Nishijima's chest, wrapping the man's fingers around the grip.

Misaki could hardly believe it - did he really think that she would be party to such a cover-up? That she would let her own superior get away with murder? "So the lizard cuts off his own tail and moves on, huh?" she said, barely able to keep from spitting the words in her anger. "This was all _his_ idea; and the Syndicate remains a bogeyman."

"A necessary sacrifice to keep the world safe."

She took a deep breath. "Director Hourai, you and that man you just murdered were involved in a mass conspiracy along with other in your syndicate to carry out genocide against the contractors; the fact that any risk of explosion had passed didn't matter. EPR didn't even make the first move, did they. You lured them here to justify your attack. Their total extinction has always been your goal."

"What's your proof?" Hourai asked coldly.

"Someday the truth will come to light, Director - and you'll answer for your crimes in court with the entire world watching. On that day, I just hope you won't think you can talk your way out."

"You give a nice speech - but you're deluding yourself. You can't imagine how far-reaching the Syndicate really is. You won't even be able to prove its existence."

Half truth, half lie, Misaki judged. He was exaggerating to frighten her, but probably not by much. "What about the contractors - how will you keep them a secret after today? And won't it be a lot harder to kill them off once everyone knows they exist?"

"That's why we have to continue this cover-up, so we can wipe these vermin out while the public still sees nothing but clusters of unnamed stars."

Misaki nodded to herself. "Thank you; that's enough."

For the first time, Hourai's confidence seemed to waver. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Misaki pulled her hand from her pocket and showed him her voice recorder. "You're on tape, sir, and I'm taking you in. No more secrets now."

The Director glared at her. "So just like the contractors, you've chosen a third path."

Without warning, he stepped forward; his hand shot out and gripped her neck. Misaki tried to pull away, but his hand only tightened.

"You really don't get it - there's no middle road, Kirihara. Either kill your enemy, or accept defeat. Violence only escalates; humans and contractors will attack each other with increasing fear and retribution, until one side draws its last breath. How can _you_ not understand _that_?"

Her airways were slowly being crushed; she tried to kick, but he raised his arm so that she had to stand on her toes to keep from strangling herself. The tips of her fingers were going numb, and she lost her grip on the recorder; if it made a sound when it fell she couldn't hear it over the ringing of her ears. As her vision began to tunnel, her mind flashed back to the night of the charity gala when she lay dying in the rain-soaked street. She tried desperately to convince herself that because she survived last time, she would survive now. But she hadn't been alone, then. Now, no one knew she was here. No one was -

Something abruptly wrapped around Hourai's wrist. Some kind of…cable. Her brain was still sluggishly trying to process what she was seeing when sparks snapped and buzzed and the mechanism in the Director's wrist shorted out. His grip relaxed and Misaki fell to the floor with a gasp of air.

She looked up just as Hei leapt into the room from the collapsed wall and ran straight at Hourai. The Director swung his fist once, twice - Hei dodged both, then slammed the heel of his hand into the other man's forehead and pushed him backwards, forcing him to the ground. His fingers squeezed in preparation to release another electric current.

"No, don't!" Misaki shouted - or tried to shout. Her voice was hoarse and even breathing was painful.

But Hei heard her; he let go, and ran towards the exit. Misaki lunged to Nishijima's body and snatched up the gun lying on his chest. "Hold it!" she shouted again from her position on the floor, her voice stronger this time. She thought she saw Hei flinch, but he didn't stop.

"Don't run; Li, _please_!"

That halted him in his tracks, though she wasn't sure if it was the _please_ or the name. Misaki sighed in relief. There was no reason for him to run now, not with everything out in the open and Hourai's confession on tape. He could stay, give up being the Black Reaper; and they could move forward, together.

Hei turned his masked face towards her. "The man you call Li is gone," he said flatly, and ran.

Misaki fired desperately at his back - he had his coat, the bullets wouldn't hurt him, but maybe she could force him to stop - but the gun jammed. He disappeared beyond the broken wall.

She lowered the gun and stared after him, too tired and confused to move. Explosions sounded in the distance; footsteps echoed in the hall outside the control room, then the door slammed open.

"There she is!"

"Chief!"

"Thank god!"

"Are you alright?"

Misaki looked up to see three heavily armed men in riot gear surrounding her, and for a moment she panicked. Then she recognized them as hers.

"Yeah," she told Saitou. He hesitantly began offering a hand to help her up, but she stood on her own.

"Look at this mess," Kouno said. "What happened here?"

"The Director!"

Misaki followed Saitou's shocked gaze; Hourai was still lying supine on the floor. Hei must have hit him harder than she'd thought. "Saitou, take Hourai into custody. He murdered Nishijima; I'll explain later."

Her subordinate turned grim. "Understood, Chief."

"He may try to take his own life; watch him closely."

"Will do." Saitou and Kouno went to the unconscious director and cuffed him, then hoisted him to his feet between them as more explosions sounded from outside.

"We better get the hell out of here, Chief!" Matsumoto said.

"Right."

Her subordinates headed for the door; Misaki paused briefly to cast one last look at the building's crumbling facade through which Hei had vanished before following them out.

She could worry about Hei later. Right now, there was work to do.


	23. Chapter 23

The neighborhood surrounding Pandora had quieted down by the time Misaki and her team reached Matsumoto's car. Rather than hunting down the remnants of EPR, the military was occupied with keeping reporters and camera crews away from the sites of the attacks. One soldier tried to stop the car from exiting the roadblock, but he relented when Matsumoto nearly ran him down.

"We're going to have a hell of a time coming up with a cover story for this," Kouno said, gazing out the window.

"We're not going to cover it up." Misaki was rummaging in her purse for her phone - the security guard had just thrown everything back in as a jumbled mess; she looked up when she felt the eyes of her team on her. "I'll explain everything when we get back to the office," she said, with a significant glance at the still-unconscious Hourai, who had been crammed unceremoniously into the corner of the back seat.

She located her phone at last: sixteen missed calls and messages. They were all from Kanami, her father, and various members of her team. She called Kanami first.

"Misaki!" her friend exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Fine; we're heading back to headquarters right now."

"Thank god. Look, it's going to take a while to put the reports together - we saw some pretty insane activity over here."

Misaki sighed. "Yeah, I believe it. Will you have time to come downtown for lunch? Things are going to start happening fast, and we need to get ahead of it. I want to hold a strategic planning meeting as soon as possible - people I know I can trust."

"Of course - I just can't stay away for long."

"Thanks." Misaki hesitated, then asked, "And can you do me one favor?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

She smiled faintly. "Keep an eye on BK-201; let me know if it looks like he's leaving Tokyo."

"Why -" Kanami began, then sighed. "You can tell me later. Yeah, I will."

Misaki didn't like to think that Hei would leave town at all, let alone without telling her; but the way he'd acted at Pandora…there had been no one there to put on a show for. It had just been Misaki.

Shoving thoughts of Hei from her mind, she dialed her father next.

"Misaki," Kirihara Naoya answered on the first ring, his relief evident, "thank god you got out."

"Actually, I didn't. How could you think that I would just leave?"

"What -"

"EPR's plan didn't work. And fortunately, neither did the Syndicate's. I advise you to stay overseas for an extra week or two, at least until I get things organized over here." She snapped the phone shut.

Saitou cast her a worried glance from the front seat, but wisely none of her team said anything for the rest of the drive

When they reached headquarters, Misaki directed Saitou and Kouno to inter Hourai in one of the temporary holding cells on the ground floor. It wasn't contractor proof, but it should be safe enough for now; she wanted him as close as possible until she had an official statement in her hands.

Ootsuka was waiting when Misaki and Matsumoto stepped off the elevator on the seventh floor. "Chief! We were so worried!" She threw her arms around Misaki, then immediately let go and stepped back, bowing. "I'm sorry - I didn't mean -"

Misaki smiled. "I was a little worried myself for a while; thanks for all your help."

The other woman bowed again, but her smile was brief. "It's all over the news - look."

She gestured to the flat screen television that was mounted in the corner of the conference room. Misaki had been against its installment, and only allowed it to be used for official media. Now it was on and tuned in to one of the national news stations. As they watched, the anchors cut to an amateur video depicting a woman, clearly glowing with synchrotron radiation, blast a tank with fire from the palm of her hand.

"It's been on repeat for the last five minutes," Ootsuka said. "They're discussing whether or not it's genuine. And more videos like it are popping up online."

"Someone from the government's going to shut that down soon," Matsumoto commented.

Ootsuka nodded. "Probably. But thousands of people have already seen it."

"Good."

Her subordinates both widened their eyes in surprise. "This have anything to do with your strategy meeting?" Matsumoto asked as Saitou and Kouno got off the elevator and joined them in the conference room.

"Yes. First, let me get all of you caught up."

The team took their accustomed places around the conference table while Misaki explained what she and Saitou had learned about the Syndicate prior to last night. Kouno shot Saitou an annoyed glare at the news that he'd been helping Misaki on his own for the past three weeks. Then she played them the recording of Hourai's inadvertent confession.

It was met with a shocked silence; even Saitou appeared taken aback.

"So," Matsumoto asked, "What now?"

"You were a detective when Hell's Gate first appeared, right?" Misaki asked.

He nodded. "Homicide."

"What was it like?"

"A lot like right now. People panicking, confused, trying to make sense of what happened. The government stepped in fast, but they couldn't stop all the gossip. Hell, for those first few months even _they_ didn't know what to make of it. Section Four wasn't formed until nearly a year had gone by; I got pulled for it because I'd seen more than my fair share of contractor activity. There's a lot of cops out there who aren't technically cleared, but still know about contractors, or at least suspect; it was unavoidable in those days. This'll only add to those numbers."

"And a lot of people whose family members just disappeared; people who have been waiting ten years for answers," Misaki said.

"You want to give them those answers now, Chief?"

She sighed. "It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. There's no way we can cover up what happened this morning; people will see that video, and they'll know that the government has been lying to them for the past decade."

"But we can't tell them the truth!" Kouno exclaimed. "People don't _want_ to know that there are monsters like that out there."

"Then we show them the ones who _aren't_ monsters. EPR, whatever their methods, had noble intentions: equal rights and recognition for contractors. They're changing; they aren't like they were ten years ago. And what about dolls? Don't they deserve to be treated like something better than inanimate objects?"

She surveyed the faces of her team. They knew perfectly well what the more dangerous contractors were capable of; but they were listening. "Hourai was right: if all people see is the violence, they won't hesitate to attempt to destroy them again. But if we show them that reality is more complicated, maybe contractors can actually become a part of society once again."

"How do we even start?" Ootsuka asked quietly.

"We start with the Syndicate. Their main purpose was to wipe contractors and dolls off the face of the earth, and it's likely that they won't stop trying. We need to find out who they are. Maybe we can even reach out to the contractors they employ; what better incentive to turn on your organization than finding out that they tried to destroy you."

Kouno frowned. "That's why you asked Ishizaki to track BK-201? He's probably got some dirt on them, and it sounds like he's definitely not on their side anymore."

"Actually, he's been my confidential informant for the past couple of months," Misaki stated to the wide-eyed amazement of all but Saitou. "He was the source of a lot of my intel. Now that he's openly turned against them…I'm hoping that he'll turn himself in. But I don't know."

She cleared her throat. "Right. Kouno, I want you to search Hourai's office - look for papers, notes, appointments on his calendar, anything that will help us identify more Syndicate members. Ootsuka, keep in touch with Astronomics. I want the reports on my desk as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, start drafting a press release. Don't give too many details, but make it clear that Section Four isn't going to bury the truth. Matsumoto, you're on hospital duty - we need to identify any injured contractors as soon as possible. But no M.E. Saitou, you're with me. The _Director_ should be awake by now. I want to have a talk with him."

~~~~o~~~~

Hei watched the hall through the peephole for a solid ten minutes before finally turning back to Yin. She was seated on the edge of one of the hotel room's double beds, one foot delicately dipped in a water-filled ice bucket.

"Anything?" he asked.

Yin shook her head.

"Okay. I'm going to start with Roppongi and hit them one by one from there. Keep your radio on; if there's any sign of trouble we'll change the plan as necessary."

After the chaos at the Gate, the Syndicate would be scrambling to cover up their activities and keep their members hidden; they wouldn't have time to coordinate a manhunt, not in the first twenty-fours at least. Hei planned to take advantage of that window of opportunity as best he could.

First priority had been to get to a safe, temporary hiding place for Yin and himself, so he'd found a moderately-priced hotel not far from Pandora. Money was going to be tight from now on, but the extra cost would be worth the security; if anyone was looking for the two of them, they'd start with known locations and the ask-no-questions type of businesses. Not here. Besides, Yin was exhausted from the events of last night, and he wanted her to be able to get as much rest as possible - it would probably be a long time before they were in a place this comfortable again.

He regretted his rented place more than ever now. When it had collapsed in the contractor attack, he hadn't really cared; it had been a convenience, not a necessity. They could certainly have used it now, though.

Then again, Misaki knew about it. So maybe not.

His second priority was to retrieve as many of his weapons caches as he could. There were six total scattered throughout the city; the Syndicate knew about three of them. His team had had a couple of additional safe houses, but there wouldn't be much of anything useful at those. Some food, maybe; if he had time he'd check them out.

Last priority: personal belongings. It would look suspicious to be traveling without a suitcase full of clothes, but clothes could be bought - or stolen - on practically any street corner.

"Keep one eye outside the hotel," Hei continued. "If anything looks suspicious - anything at all - radio and I'll come back right away. In the meantime, do what I told you: put the chain on the door, move a chair in front of it, and hide."

"I know."

He decided that he'd only imagined that hint of impatience. "You shouldn't have any problems; no one followed us, and anyway it's me they'll be after. They can't track dolls like they can contractors. You'll be okay."

"Hei."

He had just taken two steps back to the door. Pausing, he turned. "What?"

"Tracer." Yin put a hand on the back of her neck.

Of course; that time she had run away, the Syndicate had been able to direct Huang and himself straight to her. They must tag their dolls. He bit back a curse, then returned to her side, seating himself beside her on the mattress.

"Where - here?" Placing his hand over the spot where hers had been, he could sense a faint electrical signal buried beneath her skin. "I can short it out, but I don't know if I can do it without it hurting."

"It's okay."

Hei gritted his teeth, and sent the lowest amount of current that he could manage into the deepest layer of her skin. Yin flinched slightly, but otherwise didn't protest. The tiny radio signal faltered, then died. When he removed his hand, a small red welt was already beginning to form.

"I'll get you some ice."

Using a washcloth from the bathroom, Hei made her a cold compress and instructed her on how to use it. Yin pressed it lightly to her neck, wincing at the contract.

"I'm sorry, Yin." Maybe he'd used too much power; he wished that he could have just willed the chip out of existence, like he'd done at the Gate. But that had been a combination of the Gate's influence, the meteor shard, and Bai's knowledge; he doubted that he'd ever be able to do anything like that again.

"Can they find us now?" Yin asked.

Hei answered, even though he had a feeling that she already knew it. "No." He stood up and put on his jacket. "Is there anything at the tobacco shop that you want?"

Yin hesitated, as if in thought, then said, "On the shelf above the cot."

"Just whatever is there?"

She nodded.

Hei placed his hand on the door handle.

"Hei?"

"What?"

"Misaki?"

His grip tightened. "You heard what Amber said: I'm the only one whose power can cut off access to the Gate. In order to destroy it, the Syndicate has to kill me. They won't stop trying until I'm dead. Misaki will have enough trouble trying to clean up their mess; she doesn't need me putting her life in danger just by being near her."

Yin was in danger as long as she was near him, too, but they would kill her as well just for her association with him. She'd be safest by his side for the time being. He had offered to send her to Misaki's friend - hidden in plain sight - but, to his uncomfortable relief, she had refused.

"Won't you say goodbye?"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because she'll want me to stay and help, even knowing the situation. And if she asks…I won't be able to say no." He took a deep breath. "This will probably take a few hours; I'll be back as soon as I can. We need to be out of the city by nightfall." With that, he left the hotel room.

~~~~o~~~~

Hourai was conscious again when Misaki and Saitou arrived at the holding cells. Two uniformed officers escorted him to the interrogation room; Misaki insisted that he remain handcuffed. It probably wasn't necessary - his right hand had lost all function after Hei's attack - but she gained no small amount of satisfaction from seeing him chained to the table.

He cast her and Saitou a disgusted look when they entered the room, but otherwise didn't say anything. Saitou set up the video recorder, and Misaki turned on her own voice recorder.

She cut to the chase. "Director Hourai, you're under arrest for the murder of Eric Nishijima as well as conspiracy to commit genocide. I'll prepare a full list of the charges for your lawyer to review. But for now, let's start with the basics. Nishijima was killed in cold blood with your service weapon in front of a dozen witnesses, including myself. And I have no doubt that Pandora's security footage will provide confirmation. There's no getting out of the murder charge."

Hourai didn't respond, so she continued, "But I may be able to offer some leniency in the conspiracy charges - if you give me everything that you know about the Syndicate. Starting with names."

"You want names, Chief Kirihara? How about we start with your own."

Misaki folded her arms. "The fact that I worked under you in an official capacity in no way implicates me in your crimes. I've been collecting evidence against the Syndicate for the past month now. Try again."

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "I didn't mean _you_ , Kirihara. I was referring to -"

"My father?" She ignored the roiling in her stomach. "I know. I know about Decade, and I know about Tsukuda Jiro. Tell me something useful."

Hourai deflated the tiniest bit at the discovery that his trump card was completely worthless. "We can discuss terms when my lawyer arrives," he said, some of his usual pride returning.

Misaki hadn't wanted to bring her father into this at all; but she'd expected that line of attack from Hourai, and she refused to let him blackmail her. She would do what she could for her dad - get his story from his own mouth, for starters - but she wasn't going to cover up his involvement, however deep it may be. It would only come back to bite her in the ass later down the road, and she couldn't afford that.

She and Saitou spent the next two hours interviewing Hourai, though he persisted in his silence until his lawyer appeared with a deal already written up.

"I'll see that the prosecutor's office get this," Misaki told them. "That'll be all for today."

"Aren't you going to negotiate any of that?" Saitou asked as they rode the elevator back up to the seventh floor. "He gets away scot-free, and we get practically nothing!"

"We'll prepare our own counter-offer, of course. But it'll be useful to ferret out any Syndicate members in prosecution: they'll want him put away for good with no chance of trading information for a reduced sentence."

"These people really are everywhere, aren't they," Saitou said glumly.

Misaki sighed. "It will be in our best interest to proceed under that assumption, yes." She put a hand against the elevator wall to steady herself as it rose.

"Chief, you okay?"

"Yeah; the stress and lack of sleep are starting to catch up to me, I think." It didn't help that she hadn't eaten in over twelve hours. It was after noon already, and she was starving; but at the same time the thought of eating turned her stomach. Her throat was sore after all of that talking on top of Hourai's attack, but there was nothing she could do about it except keeping moving forward. She'd have time to rest at the end of the day.

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out onto their floor. No sooner had Misaki entered the main office than Kouno exclaimed, "Chief, check this out!"

The sheet of paper that he showed her was a xeroxed list of the names of primrose species. But this copy had additional notations, in Hourai's hand. Beside about half of the species names, was a person's name. Misaki recognized quite a few of them as belonging to various high level government employees, including Hourai, Tsukuda, and a couple of well-known politicians.

"This is a great start," she said. "Make a copy, then log it as evidence. We need to fill in the blanks - see if you can figure out some kind of code or pattern to the naming scheme. Have you finished searching the office yet? Do that first."

What else, what else? There was so much to do, but Misaki felt like she could hardly focus on even one thing at a time.

The elevator doors opened again; Kanami and Ootsuka stepped out, the latter carrying three large McDonness bags.

"I thought we could eat during the meeting," Ootsuka said.

Misaki nodded her thanks, and everyone moved into the conference room. "How are things looking at Astronomics?" she asked.

Kanami shrugged. She'd pulled her hair back into a sloppy bun and looked as if she might have napped in her clothes. "Not a total mess, but it'll take days to go through all the data. I did take a look at that signal from BK-201, the one that coincided with the peak of the sun spot cycle. It was pretty funky."

"Funky how?"

"You know that blip of activity from Heaven's War that I showed you, the one that took place during UB-001's time freeze or whatever? It looked almost exactly like that. Definitely BK-201, but completely different from his usual activity pattern."

Misaki started to comment, but Saitou had just opened one of the McDonness bags. The scent of greasy fries hit her like a tidal wave, and for a moment she thought she might throw up. No, she _was_ going to throw up.

"Excuse me," she managed, and hurried from the room.

The ladies' room was right outside the elevator; Misaki made it into a stall just as the dry heaves started. There was nothing in her stomach to bring up, but the retching made her throat ache, and the sour sting of the bile didn't help either. She stood over the toilet bowl for several minutes, heaving uselessly, until the nausea passed.

Kanami was leaning against the counter when Misaki at last staggered weakly to the sink.

"You alright?" she asked as Misaki filled her cupped hands with water to rinse out her mouth.

"Yeah," Misaki said after a good gargle and spit. "My stomach just can't handle stress anymore; I must be getting old." She quirked a smile, then caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and sighed. "God, when did I become such a mess?"

"We're all a mess, inside; we just get good at hiding it." Kanami hesitated, then added, "My sister swore by ginger root tea for morning sickness."

"Does it work for nerves, too?"

Kanami didn't answer, but rather cast her a sympathetic look, and suddenly her meaning dawned on Misaki. "Wait, you think _I'm_ \- don't be ridiculous, I'm not - I can't -"

Desperately she tried to remember when her last period had been. Hei had been there the first night and helped her with that bookcase; that had been over two months ago, surely she'd had another since then? And all the nausea that she'd been feeling; it was just stress. Morning sickness only happened in the morning, right?

"But, I have an IUD," she protested. "Those things are ninety-nine percent effective and they last for years, that's why I got it!"

"They last five years, max," Kanami said. "When did you get it?"

"In college; when I was dating Kaede." So, five years ago. Now that she was thinking about it, she remembered her doctor saying something about it needing to be replaced at her next appointment; but at the time she hadn't been seeing anyone, so it hadn't been a priority, and anyway she hadn't had time to schedule an appointment.

She buried her face in her hands as she felt her world grind to a sudden halt. "Oh my god, I'm such an idiot…"

Kanami squeezed her shoulder. "You've been a little distracted lately; it's understandable."

"But how did _you_ know?"

"Well, when we went dress shopping, none of the busts in your normal size fit."

"I thought I'd just been eating too much," Misaki muttered.

"Then at the party, you said the scent of the duck was making you feel ill - Misaki, we survived high school and college together, grease is what you _crave_ when you're stressed out. By then it was pretty obvious."

"But, you brought me a glass of wine -"

"The glass I gave you was nonalcoholic; you never even noticed, did you."

"I guess I had other things on my mind," Misaki sighed, and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I can't deal with this right now. Or ever, really, but especially not now."

"You'll be fine; just breathe."

"I have to tell Hei - or should I? I mean, he should know, but - I haven't even decided what to do yet. Is he even still in town?"

Kanami nodded. "According to the star charts, he's still in the greater Tokyo area. I can feed his description to the doll network if you want; we might be able to locate him."

It was tempting, but… "No. I'm not going to hunt him down like he's some criminal."

"You really think he's going to leave the city?"

Misaki sighed and stared into the sink. "I don't know. We had sort of a huge argument the other night but we haven't really had a chance to talk since then. I'm hoping that he'll come by my place tonight. When I saw him this morning at Pandora, the way he left…I don't know. Kanami, what am I going to do?"

~~~~o~~~~

Hei had spent over an hour meticulously packing his and Yin's things in an oversized duffel bag, but now he dumped the entire thing out onto the bed and started sorting through them once more. He shook out each of his shirts and Yin's dresses, then tossed them in a pile to the side. Yin's small stack of CDs and portable player were set carefully in another pile, along with a paperback book that held two train tickets to Kagoshima.

The duffel had a false bottom, lined with a thin sheet of lead. Hei opened that up and removed his bulletproof coat, four masks, and eight knives of various sizes, along with as much miscellaneous tactical gear as he'd been able to fit. It didn't look like much, even all piled together.

Once everything was out, he felt in all the corners and recesses, then turned the bag upside-down and shook it. It wasn't here.

"Hei?"

He glanced over at Yin; she was sitting up on the bed where she had been napping. She'd insisted that he sleep first, once he returned from his tour of the safe houses, but he'd kept his rest short so that she could have her turn.

"I think I left something at my apartment; can you check the area?"

Yin scooted to the edge of the bed and dipped her foot in the bucket of water. While she was scouting, Hei began repacking the duffel, double checking the pockets of his clothing.

"It looks clear."

"Okay." He checked the clock on the nightstand. "We still have a couple of hours before we need to be at the station. I'm going to run back."

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki spent the rest of the afternoon putting out fires. She manned Hourai's personal line herself, and was able to add to a growing list of suspected Syndicate members merely by the way they immediately hung up after hearing that he had been arrested. Everyone else who called, however, called to demand answers regarding Pandora's unauthorized and unprecedented show of force; not to mention the other chiefs and superintendents who wanted to know what Section Four planned to do about the public's exposure to contractors.

And they _did_ have a plan. It was still shaky at best, but Kanami and her team had ironed out the most significant steps in moving forward. As soon as they'd adjourned, Misaki had called Kaede to bring him in as well. He hadn't liked her ideas at all; but he agreed on their necessity. He was going to be vital in bringing Intelligence around.

Misaki couldn't remember ever being so busy in her life as she was just in those few hours; yet beneath every conversation and every phone call, her mind was entirely focused on two little pink bars.

The empty box for the test was still in her purse; Kanami had run out after lunch and picked it up for her, swearing that Misaki would attract far too much attention in the pharmacy with all those bruises around her neck. She'd used both of the test strips; after all, one positive could have just been a mistake. But the second had shown those pink stripes as well, and Kanami had convinced her that buying a second kit wouldn't change anything.

"Yes, ma'am," Misaki said into the phone. "At eight tomorrow morning. I'll be delivering the statement myself." She hung up before the reporter could get another question in - how had the press even gotten the Director's number? - and took off her glasses. If she held her eyelids down with her fingers, the dryness went away just the tiniest bit faster. But as soon as her eyes closed, those little pink bars appeared behind her lids.

The phone rang again.

_God damn it_. Without opening her eyes, Misaki yanked the cord out of the jack. The phone went silent, and she buried her face in her arms on Hourai's desk.

It wasn't until Ootsuka was shaking her awake that she even realized she'd fallen asleep.

"What is it?" she asked blearily, feeling blindly for her glasses.

"We decided to take the rest of the evening in shifts," Ootsuka said. "We drew straws; you got the first break."

Misaki masked her annoyance by taking her time adjusting her frames. She was about to protest that she would take the _last_ break when the view from the window caught her eye: it was close to sunset.

"There was something that I needed to take care of at home," she conceded with a sigh. "Alright; but call me if anything important comes up, no matter what."

~~~~o~~~~

As Hei walked through his neighborhood one last time, he paid close attention to the details. Mr. Itou had set his trash bags out a day early again; Louis had posted a notice stating that he was trying to sell a guitar amp on the telephone pole outside of the Higuchi house. That would be gone within a few days - Miyake considered such things to be litter, and had made it her personal mission to keep the street clean. Itou would be finding another politely-worded threat in his mailbox soon, if it wasn't there already.

He tried to tell himself that it was just part of his normal surveillance, but even he wasn't that good of a liar. He was going to miss it here.

The alley behind the Oyama apartment building was empty. Hei turned down it, walking casually, until he reached the large tree that was outside his former bedroom window. He'd always loved climbing trees, and this one wasn't even a challenge; he was up it in no time at all and peering into the empty apartment. The window was cracked the exact same way that he'd left it; it didn't look like his landlady had had a chance to clean yet. Balancing precariously on a slender branch, he leaned out, opened the window, and slipped through.

Once in, he checked the closet and bathroom for any assassins who might be lying in ambush. But it was clear. Satisfied, Hei headed straight for the kitchen and pulled open the drawer by the sink. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his feathered charm was still there, right where he had left it.

He pocketed the charm, then turned to go - and froze when someone knocked on the door.

~~~~o~~~~

Misaki knocked again, but there was still no answer in apartment 201. She jiggled the door handle; locked.

"Can I help you, Miss?" someone called from the courtyard below. Misaki leaned over the railing to see an old woman holding a broom and looking up at her. Misaki recognized her as the landlady.

"Yes, maybe," she answered, and stepped lightly down the stairs. "I'm Chief Kirihara, Public Security Bureau. I believe we met some months ago, Mrs…?"

"That's right, I remember," the woman said. "About poor Miss Haraguchi. Call me Misuzu, everyone does. What can I do for you now - none of my other tenants in trouble, are they?"

Misaki couldn't help but smile; the look in the old woman's eye suggested that the police would be the least of her tenants' worries should they stir up any problems. "No, nothing like that. I just need to speak with the man in apartment 201. Li, I think."

Misuzu's expression sobered. "I'm sorry, but he's not here anymore; left this morning, in fact."

"Is that so?" Misaki said, struggling to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"Yep. Didn't leave an address; didn't even leave the rent he owed. Just dropped off his key and this note; found them under my door." She fished around in her apron pocket, then pulled out a small key along with a scrap of paper.

Misaki took the paper. It was just the torn off corner of some flyer or other. Written in a cramped hand was the message, _I'm sorry_. "Can I see the apartment?" she managed to ask, slipping the paper into her pocket.

"Sure. Come on up."

Misuzu led the way up the stairs, back to Hei's former apartment, talking as they walked. "It was all so sudden; maybe he got into some trouble, I don't know. He seemed like such a good kid. And he was a good tenant. At least he was until he skipped out on me." She unlocked the door and pushed it open for Misaki. "Well, here it is. Didn't leave a mess behind; like I said - good kid."

Misaki nodded. "I'd like to look around for a minute, if you don't mind."

The landlady shrugged. "Help yourself; I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

The apartment wasn't much different from the couple of times Misaki had been there before. Hei hadn't had any furniture of his own, and he'd lived tidily. Yet the room now felt so cold and empty. She peeked inside the refrigerator: just an unopened bottle of beer. It must have been a gift from one of his neighbors; Misaki couldn't picture Hei ever buying a beer for himself except as part of a disguise. The closet was empty as well, containing nothing but a rolled up futon.

Well, coming here had been a long shot, anyway. It would be one of the first places that the Syndicate would look. She'd just had to see it for herself. There was still a chance that he might stop by her place once the sun went down. Maybe.

More than anything, she wanted to talk with him. She still had no idea what she was going to do about - about those pink bars; she had no idea what Hei would want to do. But he deserved to know, whatever her decision ended up being.

Misaki crossed the bedroom floor to the window. Beyond the leafy branches of a tree, the Gate was clearly visible, the golden light from the sunset flowing across the surface of the surrounding wall. A massive hole, as if a giant had swung his fist at the top of the wall, gaped open. At least the fires had been put out by now.

She sighed, her gaze trailing down to the concrete-bound river. Someone was crossing the bridge, heading away from the apartment building. Someone in a green windbreaker.

Misaki's heart leapt into her throat. She pushed away from the window and rushed out the door and down the stairs, nearly tripping in her haste. Misuzu called a question to her, but she didn't hear it. She just kept running. Across the bridge; past the closed and shuttered tobacco shop. She turned the corner; he was there, just up ahead.

"Wait!"

Hei hunched his shoulders at the sound of her voice, and his pace quickened as he rounded another corner.

Misaki flew around the corner, just yards behind him - and stopped. The street ahead of her was empty.

Her chest heaved with the exertion; she stood still, trying to catch her breath, and scanned the rows of houses and little gardens. She was completely alone.

Her hand closed around the little scrap of paper in her pocket. Could she really do this, alone?

Then her phone rang. Misaki let go of the paper to pull it out. "What is it?" she answered.

"Chief, I'm sorry," Ootsuka said. "It's the superintendent - he's on his way down."

"I'll be right there."

Misaki cast one last look down the deserted street, and inhaled deeply. One day at a time; that was all she could do. And when that was too hard, she'd just have to take it one hour at a time. She turned and jogged back to her car.

_fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks to all my readers, old and new alike; extra special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review!
> 
> Stayed tuned for the sequel, which I plan to start posting over Thanksgiving...


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